Eyes Wide Open
by TheWhyteRabbyt
Summary: She was there all along, but he was just starting to notice. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Sorry I've kind of dropped off on my updates for _SLK._ I still have it all plotted out for the most part, I just needed a change of pace. I went through a lot of personal stuff recently too and after I got out of it I decided I wanted to work on something new for a while. I'll go back and finish SLK over time though :)**

 **This is my first _Naruto_ fanfic, so if anyone seems OOC or anything, chalk it up to that. Haven't determined an update schedule yet. It's up in the air due to freakish heat waves in my area, which make it too hot to sit at the computer and write. Will work that out as time goes on. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1

He hadn't noticed the shy waitress the first time he followed Naruto to the cafe. Truth be told, he hadn't even noticed her any of the other countless times he'd gone with his loud friend. The first time she caught his eyes was just in the last week, when they were there for lunch between classes. Naruto was busy boisterously recounting some story from his physics class, where the professor had somehow created a spherical vortex using metallic powder and a magnet field... or something. Sasuke was never terribly good at paying attention when Naruto was speaking. No, instead of listening, he had been gazing out the restaurant's front windows, where the sun was just beginning its descent for the day. The light hit the sidewalks outside in a peaceful manner, reminding Sasuke of early childhood, days spent sleeping on his mother's lap as she read some book about flowers. He remembered the sound of the gentle breeze, the way the whole earth seemed to _thrum_ with peace and happiness, the way his mom's soft hand used to brush through his bristly hair...

A loud _crash_ snapped him out of his reverie. It even caused Naruto to cease his energized chatter. Both men turned to look around the edge of their booth. One of the waitresses—a pale girl with blue-black hair—was trembling as she gazed at the floor, where a plate of food had slipped from her hands and splattered across the floor.

"I-I'm so sorry!" The waitress stammered. A man with a fierce moustache and beady eyes—Sasuke assumed he was the man meant to receive the now-broken plate of food—turned red with rage.

"Are you stupid? How hard is it to put a plate on a table?!"

The waitress bowed slightly, still trembling, "I'm so sorry for my clumsiness. Please, let me have the kitchen make you another plate right away!"

The man wasn't satisfied, "Like I want to stay in your trashy establishment for another minute! Tell them if they want to stay in business, they should hire people who aren't totally useless!" He stood, his friends following suit. As if to punctuate his statement, he picked up his water glass and dumped it over the girl's head before storming out. She sank to her knees, pushed her wet hair away from her face and began cleaning up the mess on the floor. The cafe, now smothered in awkward silence, slowly returned to tentative chatter.

"Geez," Naruto whispered under his breath so only Sasuke could hear him, "that guy took things a little too far, don't ya think?"

Sasuke blinked, continuing to observe the shaking waitress. Suddenly, she glanced over to him for just a moment, making eye contact. He flinched; her eyes were the color of pearls. As if even more embarrassed by being seen in her state, she quickly gathered up the rest of the broken plate and scuttled away into the kitchen. Sasuke felt a strange twinge deep in his stomach; there had been tears in the waitress' eyes. He and Naruto hurried to finish their food, eager to get out of the gloomy atmosphere.

When Naruto wasn't looking, Sasuke slid a few extra bills in with the check.

* * *

He hadn't thought of that encounter since the day it happened, nor the girl who had been so cruelly humiliated. A month later, it was exam week at college and he was too busy being swamped in piles of textbooks so deep he could almost build a fortress around his desk. One night, he was just starting to doze off, the study guide's words blurring together, when his smug older brother entered his room.

"Oh dear, little brother..." Sasuke could almost hear the playful condescension in Itachi's soft voice. Itachi slipped past the crowded desk and sank onto Sasuke's bed silently, wearing one of his usual gentle smirks, "are you getting tired? Even when you have so much homework left?"

Sasuke peeled his cheek away from his palm, blinking gritty eyes, "No. I'm fine."

Itachi's eyes crinkled as his smirk widened, "Are you sure? I can't get you _anything_? A snack, perhaps, or a glass of water...? Or maybe..."

Sasuke bristled at his brother's rare talkative nature. He swiveled his chair around to glare at Itachi with what he hoped was a menacing expression, "Or maybe _what,_ Itachi? I'm too busy to play your weird games..." Itachi pulled something from behind his back and displayed it in both hands proudly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow—it was nothing more than a shiny, dark brown package.

"Tada...!" Itachi exclaimed quietly. "It's very expensive coffee. The CEO I met with today offered me some when the trade went through nicely. He said it was his favorite. Want some?" He shook the bag, smiling pleasantly. A warm feeling embraced Sasuke's stomach, dispelling his irritation, and he bit his lower lip.

"Yeah. Thanks."

Itachi nodded and left, heading for the kitchen. Sasuke leaned back in his chair, idle thoughts and memories drifting through his sleepy mind. He sighed, thinking of a certain rainy weekend from years ago.

It was a Saturday. He was seven, waiting for his parents to get home from one of their fancy company parties they were always attending. Itachi had been trying to get him to go to bed, but he wanted his mom to tuck him in. Even if he loved his older brother, nothing was better than his mom's gentle voice reading him a short story before he drifted off.

Then, the phone rang.

Itachi had answered, "Hello, Uchiha residence." Sasuke waddled over to his big brother, trying to make out the words being frantically spoken on the other end of the line. _Is it mom and dad,_ he had mouthed at Itachi. Itachi had simply shaken his head curtly, still listening. Sasuke felt his stomach drop when Itachi's eyes suddenly went dull, although he wasn't sure why. "Yes," Itachi had said thickly. "Yes, I understand. Please do."

Sasuke didn't remember much after that. Itachi had insisted he go to bed, begged him with a wavering voice. He explained that their dear mother wouldn't be able to put him to bed tonight and Itachi had something important to do now. So please, couldn't Sasuke do him a favor and just go to sleep? Sasuke remembered staring out his bedroom window as Itachi left the house, getting into one of the family's cars with one of his father's employees and speeding away. He remembered snuggling a stuffed toy and falling asleep in the early hours of the morning.

He remembered the next morning, when Itachi returned home with red rimmed eyes and the vice president of the company. When Itachi had simply pulled Sasuke into his arms before sinking to the floor, quaking terribly. Itachi's voice had cracked as he explained that their mother and father wouldn't be coming home again. Something had happened on the way home. It wasn't Sasuke's fault, of course not, never say that again. It was a truck driver. It was some misplaced road work signs. It was the rain. Don't worry, Sasuke, of couse Itachi would never leave. He had responsibilities to take up now. Like raising a little brother when he himself was just a child.

Sasuke shook away the grim memories, smiling ruefully as he thought of how mothering Itachi had become after that. Of course, his older brother still possessed their father's strict personality traits, like being extra hard on Sasuke when Itachi just _knew_ he could do better. But there were moments like this one, when Itachi would hum a song their mother taught them softly as he fiddled in the kitchen, making coffee for his tired little brother.

"Darn it!"

Sasuke jolted, not realizing he had started dozing off again, when he heard a sound like breaking glass and Itachi's tepid curse. He pulled himself out of his chair and meandered down the hallway. Itachi was in the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck with slender fingers. The coffee pot held in his free hand was shattered along the bottom; there was broken glass and water littering the floor below. Hearing Sasuke's footsteps, he looked up from his mistake sheepishly.

"It would uh," he glanced back at the broken glass. "It would seem that the coffee maker is broken. I must have been more tired than I thought as well."

Sasuke hid a laugh with a fake cough before speaking up, "Well... I still need to study, and I'm not getting anymore energized. Wanna hit a cafe I know of?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed warily, "C...cafe?"

Sasuke shrugged, "It's not fancy, CEO-level coffee, but it's coffee."

* * *

Sasuke's skin prickled with realization as the bell on the door jingled. A flash of blue-black hair moving around beyond the service window reminded him of the last time he had been here, when that poor waitress had been reamed beyond reason. He hoped nothing like that would happen again, especially at such a late hour, when the types of people who did such things were asleep.

"Is everything all right, little brother?" Itachi nudged him forward so he could close the door.

"Yeah."

"Well, why aren't we sitting down? Aren't there any staff here?"

As if on cue, the waitress poked her head through the window, waving a hand, "I'll be with you in a moment! Please, go ahead and seat yourselves."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Itachi, expecting to see his sophisticated brother mortified at the prospect of seating oneself. Instead, Itachi's eyes had gone owlish as he drank in their small surroundings.

"It's quite charming for such a small hole-in-the-wall. Look at those newspaper clippings on the wall; do you think this quaint little place has _really_ been here that long?"

Sasuke shrugged again, "Who knows? Let's sit over there." He led them to the same booth he had sat in with Naruto the last time he had been there. Itachi continued to peer around, no doubt storing up the most insignificant details for conversation with the higher ups at work. Sasuke almost cringed as he thought of Itachi's soporific voice droning on about the types of places the middle and lower class ate at.

The doors leading to the kitchen bounced open as the waitress came out, hands full of menus, place settings and water glasses. She stopped at their table and began to lay out the various items, "Thank you for your patience. My name is Hinata. I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with any drinks?"

 _Hinata_. The name filed itself in Sasuke's mind. That was a pleasant name. He noticed Itachi's eyes narrow curiously at his silence and cleared his throat, "Just black coffee, for now."

Hinata nodded and turned to Itachi, "And you?"

Itachi glanced over the menu, "The same for me. Also, do you happen to have anything sweet?"

Hinata smiled, "We have pie. Do you have a flavor preference?" Itachi blanched before looking sidelong at Sasuke, who only responded to his brother's floundering gaze by resting his chin on his thumbs, hiding a smirk with knit fingers. Itachi's dark eyes flashed, knowing Sasuke was teasing him in the quiet Uchiha way. He looked back at the waitress.

"S... surprise me, please."

Hinata nodded once more and turned to go, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be right back with your coffee." As soon as she was out of earshot Itachi gripped the plexiglass table cover, tweaking it so Sasuke slipped, cracking his forehead on the table.

"Ow! F—... Itachi!" He hissed, holding his face.

"A-are you alright?" Hinata was back. Sasuke peeked at her through his fingers, the tips of his ears turning just the faintest shade of pink. Itachi raised a hand, waving it in a dismissive gesture.

"My brother is just tired from studying," he smiled with oozing sweetness. "You'll have to excuse him." Sasuke glared. Hinata made a small hum of understanding as she set down two white mugs on the table. Sasuke pulled his hands away from his face, sighing imperceptibly at the sight of fresh coffee pouring out in front of him. When she had filled both of their mugs, she reached back to the tray on her arm and set a plate of cherry pie down in front of Itachi.

"Please enjoy. If you need anything, just call for me." Faster than they could nod, she was already making her way back to the kitchen. Grumbling, Sasuke pulled the mug of coffee to his lips. Itachi picked up a fork and prodded the pie, then took a cautious bite.

His eyes flashed again, "It's good. Tart, but still sweet." Noting Sasuke's lack of acknowledgement towards his pie assessment, he nudged Sasuke's foot under the table, "Like a certain precious, little brother I know."

"Hn."

The rest of their late-night coffee break passed in relative silence, with the occasional refill of coffee and a request for a second piece of pie on Itachi's part. When Hinata brought them the check, she mentioned that she was switching shifts with the next waitress, so she hoped they would have a good night. When Itachi opened the bill folder, something slipped out into his lap. His eyes flicked over it before another of his condescending smirks bloomed on his face. He lifted his hand towards Sasuke.

"I believe this is for you."

Sasuke held out his hand, receiving a piece of paper folded around... a small lollipop. Raising an eyebrow, he smoothed the paper out to examine the purple ink scrawled inside.

 _Good luck with your Military History exam. I hear that tasting a strong flavor while studying can help you remember things._

There was a cartoon bunny doodled next to the script. Sasuke knit his brows in confusion. How would Hinata know that his next exam was for his Military History class? He shrugged and stuffed the note into his pocket then turned his attention to the lollipop. It was cherry-flavored.

He growled when he noticed Itachi's patronizing grin.

* * *

Friday rolled around, with spotty rain showers and bursts of glimmering sunlight. The lecture hall for Military History was grim. Sasuke leaned forward, resting his cheek in a palm, eyes closed drowsily. The day was almost over. There were only two more hours. They were exam hours, but still. He thought of the weekend. Would he finally be able to get some rest? The professor entered the classroom and walked calmly to his desk, which was stacked high with exam packets. Sasuke opened his eyes a sliver to see how much longer he could cat nap for. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, the clouds outside parted and a blade of sunlight filtered in, illuminating the blue tones in the black hair of a girl sitting much closer to the front of the room. The drowsiness was gone in a snap. Sasuke frowned. It couldn't be...

She turned to the person sitting to her right, exposing her pale face and even paler eyes.

How had he never seen her before? This whole time, she had been in the same class as him! He recalled slipping the extra money in on the day she had be scolded by the irate customer. Sasuke slumped forward, holding his mouth with one hand and hiding behind the other. What was a waitress who worked in a dinky little cafe doing at one of the top universities in the city? Had he embarrassed her further by giving her a large tip, insinuating that she needed it?

His cool demeanor returned in a scowl. What if she was just pretending to be poor as some sort of weird experiment? Seeing what it was like to be a commoner? His scowl deepened—that seemed like something _Itachi_ would do.

Then, there was the matter of the cherry lollipop and the note. _Good luck on the Military History Exam_? That meant she knew _him_ already! She knew he was in the same class as her. How long had she known? Did she just happen to recognize him the night he went with Itachi? Or had she been watching him for a long time? A chill went up his spine. Maybe she was one of those girls from around campus who claimed to be part of his "fan club"? Had he opened the gates of Hell by sneaking in the extra money?

"Hey, uh... are you okay?"

Sasuke nearly jumped when the student next to him nudged his shoulder. They continued to observe him, concerned.

Sasuke straightened up, adjusting his shirt, "Yeah, I'm fine."

They smiled cautiously, "Okay. The exam is starting. Good luck."

* * *

The exam seemed to drag by. The clock's second hand oozed like molasses, dripping down one side of the clock before crawling its way back up the other. Sasuke pulled his hand from his bangs, silently scolding himself for once again pulling on the already-messy hair. His scalp tingled. The essay question, the last part of the test, glared up at him from the paper. The letters seemed to stand from the page and dance, mingling together. _Why am I so distracted_?

He glanced over the edge of the desk, down several rows to the left. Hinata's hair slipped from her shoulder for the umpteenth time in the last hour, dripping down her arm and onto the desk. She shifted in her focused hunch, just enough to brush the locks away. Thoughts of her having been aware of him for an unknown length of time twisted in his stomach. He thought of Sakura, who, throughout grade school, had seemed to be everywhere he was. Always. Eventually, she had grown out of the rude habit, but he didn't want to relive that experience.

A buzzer at the front of the room rang, causing several students to startle. The professor tapped his desk, "You have thirty minutes!"

Some students turned with curious expressions when a loud _thump!_ resounded throughout the lecture hall, but other than one dark-haired guy who was busy rubbing his forehead, there wasn't anything amiss.

Sasuke had never finished an essay question so quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I feel so blessed by the response I received! Thank you for reading :D**

 _Guest 1: This definitely isn't a oneshot. I have a full story planned out and it's going to be wild ride :)_

 _enumiri: You're the most wonderfully polite person I think I've ever had comment on a story of mine. Thank you for your well wishes :D_

 _Int: Hope it stays interesting!_

 _Guest 2: Thank you for the compliment! That means a lot to me._

 _Fher34: Yeah, Itachi is delightful. He's been very fun to write for me._

 **Since I got such a positive response, I decided to post another of the pre-written chapters I had on hand. Hope this one doesn't disappoint! And just in case anyone wants early-access to new chapters, you can follow my tumblr account 'toomanypizzaboxes'. Hope you enjoy and have a lovely evening!**

* * *

Chapter 2

Warm, afternoon sun filtered through the translucent white curtains in the apartment's living room. Sasuke's eyes fluttered sleepily; he yawned as he shifted in his lounging position. One leg was hooked over the couch arm, the other loosely hanging off the side, one arm behind his head and the other resting on his chest. The sound of pages rustling and the gentle scratch of a pencil had roused him from his light slumber.

"Have you been back to that cafe since your exams?" Itachi's low voice prodded from the dining table.

Sasuke frowned, suspicious, "Why do you ask?"

Itachi didn't look up from his work, "I was thinking about that girl." Sasuke lifted his head enough to peer incredulously at his older brother. When Itachi didn't elaborate, he huffed in disbelief.

"What? Why?" He sat up, glaring at Itachi's composed form. A single venomous glance from Itachi, however, was enough to sear Sasuke's indignation from postulating strange ideas any further. Itachi set his pencil down, turning to rifle through some nearby folders.

"I know what your over-active imagination is dreaming up, _little brother,_ but I can assure you, not a single one of your thoughts is correct in its assumptions."

"So explain," Sasuke was on his knees now, arms bent over the couch back so he could remain steadfast in his disquieted glower.

Itachi rolled his eyes, doing his best to conceal a smirk from his cute younger sibling, "I was just thinking she seemed familiar, that's all. Especially her eyes. No matter." He picked up his pencil again, returning to silence as he continued his work.

"Hn..." Sasuke sank back down onto the couch, considering Itachi's musings. He wondered if he should bring up the fact that it turned out he shared a class with Hinata, but a vision of Itachi's hypothetical, relentless teasing staid his tongue. The silence was cut by Sasuke's phone vibrating. He checked the screen, grimacing at the picture. He answered.

"What do you want, idiot? It's Saturday."

"It's good to hear from you too, dear!" Naruto's raspy, irreverent voice crackled through the phone speaker. "Wanna get lunch?" Sasuke looked up to see Itachi take a sip of coffee, his eyes darting over just once before a self-satisfied smile curled up past the rim of the mug. Raising his eyebrows, he set the mug down and went back to poring over papers. Sasuke grit his teeth.

"Lunch where?"

"You know," Naruto's shrug from the other line was almost visible, "the usual place."

Sasuke deflated, accepting his fate, "Sure."

* * *

The smell of eggs, cheese, and fresh coffee assaulted Sasuke's and Naruto's noses as the cafe door opened. They breathed in on reflex; it was the smell of a comforting haven. Sasuke felt his stomach tighten. Would Hinata be here again? Did she really like him after all? That would be uncomfortable...

"Welcome!"

 _Speak of the devil..._

Hinata made it to the front of the restaurant carrying two menus. She gestured for them to follow her. Naruto happily complied, but Sasuke hesitated for a moment. Was... was she _blushing_? She wasn't making strong eye contact either... He narrowed his eyes and sat at their usual booth, ignoring Naruto's opening chatter in favor of watching Hinata's retreating back. She reappeared moments later, laden with waters and place settings.

She smiled shyly, not quite looking at either of them, "Good to see you again."

Sasuke stiffened—was she addressing _him_?

Naruto grinned, "Yeah, good to see you too, Hinata! Man, it feels like _forever_ since we've been here!"

"It's only been a week, idiot," Sasuke muttered almost subconsciously. He watched Hinata's smile harden. Her eyes flicked between them. Was she embarrassed? She pulled her notepad from her apron.

"Anyway, do you need a few moments, or are you ready to order?"

Naruto blinked as if he hadn't even thought of it, "Uh, I think I need some time." He scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

Hinata's soft expression returned, "I'll be back in a few minutes, then." Sasuke wondered if her cheeks were truly as red as they looked.

"Hey! Are you listening to me, you spiky-haired jerk?" Naruto rapped his fork on the table. When Sasuke turned back to him lazily, he squinted, "You've been acting weird ever since I called you."

"That's because an idiot is bothering me on my day off."

"No, no..." Naruto rubbed his chin, "I _know_ what you're like when you want to be alone... and this isn't it." He gasped, "Did something happen with your exams?"

"Other than me passing with flying colors?" Sasuke took a drink of water, letting more venom seep into his voice than truly intended. "No, nothing."

Naruto pressed on, "Is it about family stuff then? Did you and Itachi have another fight?"

" _No_."

"Then does it have to do with the thing?"

Sasuke's mind went as blank as the water he was staring at, "What thing?"

Naruto gestured wildly at nothing, "You know! The thing! The spring thing! You rich guys do it every year, I always show up! The _thing_!"

Sasuke snorted, choking back water, "You mean _hanami_? Naruto, how are you even _in_ college without knowing basic elements of your country's history? Especially an element that you're involved in annually?"

"Peh," Naruto waved a dismissive hand, "I just don't like remembering words like that. Old words. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about this year's festival..."

At that moment, Hinata reappeared at the table. She motioned to their menus, "Are you ready to order?"

"Just my usual pork wrap for me, Hinata! The one with the ramen noodles in it." Naruto beamed, his wide grin glistening in the soft light of the cafe. Sasuke eyed Hinata curiously when she bit her lip. He noted the tap of her foot against the tile floor, subtle enough to go unnoticed by most patrons. What had her so nervous? She nodded, hastily scribbling down Naruto's order. Almost reluctantly, she turned her eyes towards Sasuke. He stiffened, taking in her expression. It seemed so _shy_ for some reason

"A-and for you?"

He watched as her eyes shifted to focus just to the side of him so she wouldn't have to make eye contact. Her foot started tapping the ground again. He handed his menu over, "The chicken tomato salad. Extra tomato." She wrote down his order, hitched their menus under her arm and left.

"So about the _hanami_ festival..." Naruto started as soon as Hinata was gone, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands, Sasuke stared blankly at his friend, "What?"

The blue of Naruto's eyes seemed to soften, "Do... do you mind if I ask Sakura to go with me?"

Sasuke glared, "Why on Earth would I care about that?"

"Because she still likes you!" Naruto frowned, "...and I thought that maybe... now that we're getting older... You might finally accept that... might finally take her up on her offer."

"Hn," Sasuke looked away irritably—right into the eyes of Hinata. She stutter-stepped, almost tripping over herself and spilling her jug of water. A tense moment hung like a wall of ice around the trio—Naruto blinking in confusion; Sasuke, unperturbed and blank; and Hinata, desperately trying to regain her balance. When she did, the tenseness passed and there was a shared, quiet sigh of relief.

"Excuse me," she murmured, reaching past Sasuke to refill his water glass. Sasuke recoiled against the booth. Her motion had caused her to brush against his arms. He bit his lower lip, trying to quell the feeling of his hair standing on end. As she pulled away, he saw that she was blushing— _again_!

 _Did she do that on purpose_?

"So how about it? Can I ask Sakura to go with me?"

"Yes! Fine!"

"Well there's no need to get all snappy with me!"

"Shut up and drink your water or something, Naruto."

* * *

Several weeks passed in their usual fashion. Sasuke went to school, came home, avoided mostly everyone he knew and was teased by Itachi. He even forgot about the strange string of encounters with Hinata... for the most part. Naruto would still drag him to the cafe every few days and she was almost always there. Sasuke was aware that she would—without fail—give extra care to their table. Refilling their waters like clockwork, making sure their orders made it to them even ahead of other tables who had been waiting longer, and occasionally slipping in a slice of pie on the house. There was a good deal of blushing involved as well and Sasuke felt like he was beginning to put the pieces together.

Clearly, she was madly in love with him.

Therefore, he would avoid her as much as possible, and put all thoughts of her from his mind. She was probably just another one of his fans, as many so often were. He didn't have time for that. There was college to be dealt with and quiet naps to be had. A girlfriend? As if.

Then, _hanami_ came.

* * *

While it was national, historical tradition for citizens to gather with friends and family to go for long picnics under the blossoming cherry trees, the upper class of the city of Konoha took it farther. Each year, for as long as many could remember, the rich families would band together, assigning their numerous resources to cordon off the family districts and construct a full-fledged, week-long street festival. Food stalls were erected, firework displays were scheduled, and large swathes of lawns were set up with delicate white table arrangements below the embrace of the centuries-old cherry trees. The glittering spring sunlight filtered through the canopies of icing pink, washing the joined districts in a magical atmosphere that spoke of new beginnings and promised romances.

Family honor forced the descendants of the wealthy to attend as a matter of respect. If one were lucky enough to be granted access to the opulent festival, they would be graced with the visions of countless maidens in elaborate, nigh-overwrought _furisode_ , as well as hundreds of foods specifically commissioned to resemble the delicate blossoms that sometimes overwhelmed the city at large. There were even rumors that if one attended the _hanami_ festival with a date, that the shared love would be blessed by the gods themselves.

It was at this time, the wistful, romantic time of _hanami_ , that Sasuke found himself confronted with yet another of his older brother's teasing schemes.

"Why do we have to go all the way to the _center_?" Sasuke trailed behind Itachi reluctantly, hackles risen at the thick crowds which surrounded them. He glared once more at his brother's back, "You know I hate crowds." Itachi smiled over his shoulder, eyes crinkling up in a way that Sasuke knew bade trouble. He turned to face forward again, waving his hand after Sasuke to ensured he remained following.

"There is someone I want to introduce you to."

A displeased growl rumbled in Sasuke's throat, "I hope it's not any of those stuffy business guys you're always trying to shove me with. I'm not good at making deals—that's why _you_ manage the company. Anyway, you're the heir..." Sasuke missed the way Itachi's shoulders stiffened slightly. They continued wading through the crowd.

"It's to get practice, just in case," Itachi murmured.

Sasuke frowned, "What did you say?"

"Ah!" Itachi gestured to a food stall hidden behind an alcove. The vendor was selling chocolate-covered fruit, mostly large, heart-shaped strawberries. Sasuke grew wary when Itachi purchased not one, but _two_ chocolate-covered bananas on sticks.

"You know I hate sweets right? Like, you raised me. This isn't a secret."

"It's not for _you_ ," Itachi inclined his head towards a dark-haired girl wearing a white kimono patterned in cherry blossoms fading to cherries at the hem. She had her back turned to them and she was gazing up into the pink branches above. "It's for her." Sasuke observed her. Was she someone they knew? A family member? A breeze picked up, tossing about the cherry branches overhead. The sun beamed through, catching the blue-toned highlights in the girl's black hair. Sasuke's mouth went dry.

 _It... couldn't be..._

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Hyuuga," Itachi approached her, gently nudging her shoulder. She turned around, pale eyes wide and cheeks faintly flushed.

"Oh, that's all right, Mister Uchiha, I was um... enjoying the view."

"Sasuke," Itachi's dark eyes were filled with a deviant mirth as he turned to beckon Sasuke closer, "this is Hinata Hyuuga. She is the heiress to Byakugan Enterprises." Raising one of the bananas to hide his smirk, his eyes narrowed playfully, "I don't believe you two have met?" The flames of a thousand rages flashed up in Sasuke's chest, scorching his innards. He clenched his fists and bit his tongue; he had been completely played from the moment he woke up that day.

 _"Sasuke, you're obligated to make an appearance at the festival."_

 _"Sasuke, wear that outfit instead; it compliments your skin."_

 _"Sasuke, make sure you are mentally prepared for the people you'll most likely have to speak to today."_

 _"Foolish little brother, don't you know you have to eat more than rice to survive?"_

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Sasuke ground out through clenched teeth. His tone dripped with hidden poison and he made sure to send a flashing glare at Itachi's smug face. Hinata bowed her head, although he suspected it had more to do with shyness than respect.

"Pleased to meet you, Mister Uchiha."

"Now, that's a bit formal," Itachi said in a exaggeratedly posh voice. "I do believe he's about your age, Hinata. Go ahead and call him 'Sasuke'."

Hinata's original pleased flush glowed brighter with embarrassment, "S-Sasuke."

"Sasuke," Itachi drew himself up to his full height and looked down his nose at his enraged sibling, "I would like you to escort Hinata around the festival today." He faked a wistful gaze into the distance, "Father always wanted to improve relations with our largest rival, after all. Since you both share a class, it's the perfect opportunity."

 _That conniving weasel!_

Itachi had known after all... for how long? He generously offered one of his chocolate bananas to Hinata, winked suggestively at Sasuke, then ghosted into the crowd, where several of his friends from college—most noticeably a man with terribly sharp teeth—waited for him. Then, the awkward pair of young adults were alone.

Sasuke gazed down at Hinata with a blank expression, quietly seething and plotting his revenge on Itachi. His mind drifted far away, to a place of old with torture chambers and battles and crushing defeats.

"Sasuke? Are you all right?" Hinata's soft voice snapped him back to reality. He realized he had been slumping forward and probably appeared ill.

"I'm fine," he said curtly.

"I'm glad," Hinata smiled. "I thought the crowd might be bothering you." A couple walking by jostled Hinata and she had to step carefully to re-balance. She looked up at Sasuke with a tentative expression, "There seems to be more people here than usual, right?"

 _Than usual._

The epiphany struck Sasuke like lightning. Of _course_ she had seemed familiar! She was a Hyuuga, one of the wealthiest, most revered families in all of Konoha! He scolded himself for his lack of observation; her pearl-colored eyes, a well-documented Hyuuga trait, were a dead giveaway.

A dull memory prickled at the back of his mind, but Sasuke pushed it aside.

"Yes," he muttered, "there _are_ more people than normally."

"Would you like to go somewhere else? I think the viewing court is that way," she pointed down one of the many intersections that lined the main road.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded. He began to lead the way, ignoring the quiet "oh!" Hinata uttered when she realized he was already leaving. She caught up to him with delicate, hurried steps, falling into pace beside him. He wondered how women walked in such ridiculous clothes, with their skirts tight down to the ankle. The Hyuuga girl seemed to manage well enough. Her graceful swaying movements seemed to match the cherry blossom petals drifting on the air. The matching pink pin in her styled hair bobbed with her every step, punctuating a scene straight from an ancient painting.

"Is there something wrong?" Her eyes shifted, uncomfortable under his shameless gaze. Sasuke felt the tips of his ears grow warm. He hadn't realized he had been staring. Not wanting to encourage her infatuation with him, he jerked his head away, pretending to look around for the viewing court.

"No."

She bowed her head again, watching the ground pass below them with a taut mouth and squinted eyes. Sasuke wondered if she was beginning to understand that he would not be manipulated into falling for her. If anything, Itachi had given him the perfect opportunity to shut down her machinations. Company relations or no, Sasuke valued his sanity higher than the feelings of some spoiled heiress.

"Wow, you guys make quite the couple! Believe it!"

 _No_... Sasuke grit his teeth, pausing to look at the raucous addition to an otherwise peaceful festival.

"Naruto."

"I can't believe you'd actually ask out the waitress, though! That's so cliché!" Naruto laughed boisterously, causing several older citizens to turn and look at him disdainfully. Sasuke felt Hinata go rigid next to him. Was she afraid of being caught playing commoner? Had one of his initial thoughts been correct? He looked back at Naruto, only to see Sakura-dressed in a very red, very non-traditional outfit-walk up. It seemed like she had been looking for Naruto, but she halted in her tracks when she caught sight of him. Her green eyes took him in, softening slightly. However, when she noticed Hinata standing far too close to him, they went cold. She looked at him accusingly.

"Hi, Sasuke."

He inclined his head, "Sakura."

"I see why you let Naruto ask me out for today," she glanced waveringly at Hinata. "Family obligations keep you busy when you're rich, I guess."

Sasuke blinked, "Not exactly."

Sakura flinched before looking away sadly, "Yeah. Well, enjoy your date with Hinata." She spun on her heel and marched towards the food court.

"Seeya guys! We're gonna go find some food!" Naruto turned slightly before looking back, "Nice seein' ya, Hinata!" He jogged off to catch up with his pink-haired date.

"G-goodbye, N-Naruto," Hinata called, in a voice so quiet there was no way he could have heard it. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her fidgeting, but shrugged and continued to the viewing court. Hinata once again shuffled to catch up and walk beside him. They eventually made it to a two-person table under one of the trees, out of the way and shaded. When they sat, Hinata seemed to cave in on herself. Sasuke watched as she stole careful glances at him, never allowing her eyes to linger too long.

Now was his chance; he'd shut her down before she even got a word in.

He sighed firmly and leaned forward, fixing her in careful eye contact, "Listen. I'm not interested."

She started, "W-what do you mean?"

He shook his head, "I know that you're playing some weird little game, trying to work up the courage to confess your undying love for me, right?"

Hinata turned tomato red, "N-no! Not at all..."

"It won't work. I've been used to it since I was a kid. Girls try so many different ways to try and get my attention... I wish they'd just take a hint already and screw off."

"S-Sasuke..."

"Don't try to beg or cry, or anything. If you do I'll just tell everyone you tripped and fell."

"Sasuke!"

He jolted and looked at Hinata full on. Truly looking at her for once, he saw that she had an alarming expression. It was somewhere between mortification and panic. He schooled his face into a vacant look, "W... what?"

"I don't like you, Sasuke. I like Naruto."

Sasuke's stomach dropped. Was... was he relieved? Or shocked? Hinata didn't say anymore, only looked down at the table between them. Sasuke shifted in his seat, pondering the bizarre statement. Naruto? What was there to like about a loud idiot who couldn't back up bold words with actions most of the time? Hadn't every girl he'd ever known eventually professed their love for _him_ , Sasuke Uchiha, brother of the CEO of Sharingan Corp?

A strange feeling unfurled its petals in his lower abdomen and Sasuke gulped thickly. He looked at Hinata in tempered awe. She seemed to be doing her best to avoid making eye contact and when she brought the chocolate banana to her pink-glossed lips, with flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes, she failed. She looked at him shyly, but without any form of desire. A first for Sasuke. His stomach lurched once more and—in a painful burst of emotional humiliation—he realized that Itachi had not chosen a banana on accident.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again everyone!**

 _mili: I'm so glad you enjoy Sasuke and Itachi's relationship, as it's been one of my favorite aspects to write so far. Hope you continue enjoying future chapters!_

 _Fher34: Haha, more like what_ isn't _Itachi plotting? :D_

 _sumire syrup: Yeah, I definitely wanted to stay away from the whole instant love concept. It's been so overdone in this fandom and it never feels satisfying. Same with the itahinasasu love triangle. It can be cute but only in little tastes and is almost always over the top. I'm glad Sasuke's personality is working. Thanks for reading!_

 _farahb: Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

 **Enjoy and have a good evening, all!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Hinata snapped the banana into pieces systematically, dispelling all thoughts that could possibly hold innuendo with the ferocity of her teeth. Sasuke felt himself gulp absently. She continued her onslaught against the fruit, almost as if she was desperately trying to forget that she had just confessed the truth of her years-long crush to the best friend of said crush. When there was no more banana, she cleaned the skewer by drawing it across her lips and set it on the table in front of them.

Sasuke blinked several times. His mind felt fuzzy from the awkwardness of the whole situation.

"S-Sasuke?" Her timid voice ventured to call him back to reality.

"Hmmm..." He shook his head gently, attempting to clear his thoughts. When his eyes focused on her again, Hinata bowed her head.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause a misunderstanding!" Her blue-black hair quivered on her trembling head. Sasuke wondered what protocol was for such a situation. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms loosely in his lap. Hinata cautiously rose from her bow, eyeing him from below her eyelashes. "I really _am_ sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. It was my mistake," Sasuke replied flatly. How had he made such a blunder? How would he recover? …He'd have to deflect all attention onto her. He thought of the banana she'd eaten.

"Do you like sweets?"

Her eyebrows knit together, "Um... yes, I love sweets... Especially cinnamon rolls and anything with _adzuki_..." She pursed her lips slightly, as though confused about why he had suddenly changed the subject. She tilted her head to the side, seemingly hoping for some elaboration. Sasuke only wrinkled his nose; he hated sweets. Why on Earth had he asked her that?

"What about you?" Hinata asked.

"What?"

"What do you like? Food-wise, I mean."

He thought for a moment. Ever since his parents had died, he hadn't put much thought into food. Itachi had never been the best of cooks, although he tried.

"...Rice." Sasuke wasn't sure what he was expecting her reaction to be. Looking at his hands, he considered how Naruto might respond and repressed a shudder. He needed to start hanging out with more people. Different people. Normal people. A light breeze ruffled his hair and he looked back at Hinata, who was smiling. What?

"That's so unique!" Her soft voice was bursting with genuine joy, "I've never met _anyone_ who's said their favorite food was _rice_ before!" When she was finished speaking, Hinata continued smiling gently at him, her eyes shining with the faintest glint of curiosity. She didn't say anything else and the tide of dialogue drifted out. Sasuke realized she was waiting for him to speak next, but he didn't really have anything to say, despite his best hopes. So, he stuck with a standby.

"Hn..." Sasuke really _was_ terrible at this whole 'conversation' thing. He was just so used to Naruto pulling him along and taking charge of any sort of speaking. Sasuke had always been taciturn, usually leaving talking to the people who surrounded him at any given time. Now, he was floundering, reluctant as he was to admit it.

"Um..." Hinata's timid voice drew him back to reality once more. She was fiddling with the hem of one of her sleeves and trying not to bite her lower lip, "Please... will you not say anything to Naruto?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "About what?"

Fear blossomed in Hinata's eyes, "A-about... _you know_." Oh. She was worried he'd rat her out to Naruto for having a crush on him? Why would _he_ care? Even if he did tell Naruto, he'd have to explain how he learned such information—an irritating interrogation he wasn't inclined to experience.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "Your secret is safe with me."

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I'm sorry, again."

Sasuke's brow creased minutely, "You apologize a lot. Don't worry about it."

Before Hinata could respond, a sudden commotion at the nearby fireworks prep tent caught their attention. The fabric walls began whipping around, a group of citizens began evacuating while screaming about "getting some water" and there was a loud, if somewhat murky-sounding explosion from within. A string of curses shouted by several people at once erupted from the tent. Smoke barreled from the seams. Itachi's voice rose over the din.

" _Deidara!_ "

As smoke began filling the surrounding vicinity, Sasuke stood and offered his hand to Hinata, "We should probably get out of here before the smoke ruins your _kimono_." Hinata looked up at him with an unreadable expression. Sasuke suddenly felt very odd. A strangle prickle ran up the back of his neck as he made eye contact with the girl in front of him. Her large eyes somehow seemed wary and curious at the same time. When her lips curled up into a friendly smile as she took his hand, he felt a tightness in his chest. A memory slipped his grasp and he brushed off the feeling. He gestured with his free hand to the rest of the festival area. "Shall we?"

Hinata's smile finally brightened all the way and she nodded, "Yes!"

* * *

A terrible lurch throughout his body caused Sasuke to snap out of his thoughts. He looked around, eyes widened a fraction more than usual, only to realize that he'd been nodding off while leaning against a wall, waiting for Naruto to finish up a discussion with his professor. He rifled through his memories to try and gather exactly how long he'd been waiting.

 _What was I thinking about last...?_

He'd been thinking about his parents again. Sasuke grimaced, bringing his bottle of tea to his lips and glancing around, hoping no one had seen his embarrassing slip-up. Luckily, it seemed like the hallway was vacant aside from a close-knit group of people at the far end, and they didn't seem like they could see him from where they were standing. Sasuke's tense shoulders drooped in quiet assuagement. A door on the opposite end of the hall from the group of students opened. Sasuke nearly spat his tea when he recognized the person who entered. Hinata.

He hadn't spoken to her or even been to the cafe since the _hanami_ festival; he'd been too swamped with school work and avoiding Naruto's chronic boasting about his success in getting Sakura to "go on a date" with him. Now that some time had passed, Naruto had mostly calmed down and Sasuke was willing to hang out with him again.

Sasuke watched as Hinata made her way closer to where he was standing. She was staring at the floor, not really looking where she was going. Maybe she'd walk right past him?

No such luck: she seemed to notice his shoes poking into her field of vision as she passed him and looked up, stopping when she recognized him.

"Oh! Hello, Sasuke."

He dipped his chin, "Hinata."

She looked at the door he was standing next to, "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, Naruto." Sasuke didn't miss the faint flush that colored her skin. He smirked before he could stop himself, knowing that even the mention of his friend could completely alter this girl's countenance. It made him want to tease her, which was an alien feeling that made him uncomfortable. He pushed the feeling away by turning the focus to her, "And you?"

Hinata pointed at the people at the end of the hall, "I'm meeting some friends for a quick meal before I go to work." As if on cue, one of the guys in the group lifted his head and waved before holding his phone up.

"Hinata! Come see this trick I taught Akamaru!"

Hinata returned his wave, "I'll be right there, Kiba!" She turned back to Sasuke, "I haven't seen you and Naruto at the cafe lately." Sasuke eyed the classroom door idly, wondering when said blond idiot would come bursting out to save him from having to make small talk.

"I've been busy with schoolwork."

Hinata nodded gravely, "I understand. This time of year is always extra-packed, isn't it?"

"Hmm."

"Well, I hope your workload lightens up," she smiled genuinely, "then maybe you'll get to relax a bit. Don't overdo it." Sasuke blinked. Was she worrying about him? They hardly knew each other! What could she have to gain by fretting over his well-being? He was about to respond with something terse when the door burst open, revealing a grinning Naruto.

"All right! Time to go get something to eat!" He paused, observing the pair in the hallway, "Oh, hi, Hinata." Sasuke resisted the urge to slap a palm to his own face when Naruto narrowed his eyes at him in no subtle manner. Hinata seemed to shrink in on herself, basking in the exuberant light of Naruto's personality. Sasuke's spine tingled. Naruto put a hand on his hip and gestured at Sasuke and Hinata with the other. "So, uh, what're you guys up to?"

"She was just passing by to hang out with her friends, idiot," Sasuke said, slouching away from the wall and moving towards the door. "Let's go." Naruto shrugged and followed, spinning around once to shoot doble finger-guns at Hinata.

"Seeya, Hinata."

She blinked her large, glassy eyes before stammering out, "G-goodbye!"

* * *

He didn't see her outside of class until the weekend, when he was heading through the downtown area on a few errands.

It was a beautiful Saturday; the late spring sun had suffused the air with the scent of hot leaves and evaporating dew. Downtown Konoha was crowded, but not in an unpleasant sense. It buzzed with the life of families spending the day together and young people relaxing after a long school week. Even Sasuke wasn't immune to the glimmer of tranquility in the air.

He was just finishing up some shopping for the day when he rounded a corner and heard a _snap!_ followed by a familiar soft voice crying out in surprise. The sidewalk crowd parted like water around a stone and Sasuke's dark eyes immediately sought out the blue-black hair he'd already prepared to see. There she was—Hinata on her hands and knees, blushing bright with embarrassment and her shopping bags in a pool around her. He observed her small form, wondering what had happened. He blinked when he saw that the heel on one of her shoes had broken off. Before she was even aware of him, he was next to her, gathering her bags.

She jumped when she felt his nearby presence, "Wh—Oh. Hello, Sasuke."

"Hinata."

They finished collecting her bags and he offered her a hand to help her up. She teetered, keeping most of her weight on her unbroken shoe. She bowed meekly, "Thank you for your help." Sasuke waited to see if she was steady before pulling away further. After a moment she frowned and gazed into the lower distance. He pointed at her shoe.

"What are you going to do? You can't walk home like that."

"You're right." She shuffled over to rest a steadying hand on the wall of the building they stood next to and set most of her bags down. She reached into the last one and pulled out a shoe box, "I was hoping to break these in before wearing them, but I don't have much of a choice." She pulled a pair of simple flats from the box and quickly traded her heels for them. As she settled the shoe box back into the bag, Sasuke felt his emotions ruffle. He had a sudden desire to tease her in her moment of self-reliance.

"Lucky you had those."

She straightened up and settled her bags evenly in each hand before looking at him with arched eyebrows, "What?"

He gestured at the bags, "Lucky you had bought those shoes. I thought I might have to carry you home on my back."

Several beats passed before Hinata's mortified blush bloomed across her cheeks again. She immediately sputtered incoherently before settling on a train of thought, "W-would you really have done that?"

Sasuke flicked his gaze up and down her figure impassively, "Maybe." He stepped away from the building and began to stride away. Hinata wasn't sure why, but she followed him.

"W-wait! Sasuke!"

He looked at her questioningly when she appeared at his elbow with an expression that begged for answers. She looked almost childlike with her brows knit, eyes wide and a firm set to her slightly-pouting lips.

...and Sasuke couldn't help himself: he smiled.

Hinata looked liked she'd seen a ghost. Her mouth dropped open, "Sasuke!" He stopped and pointed to a drink vendor whose small stand stood near the entrance to a park.

"Thirsty?"

Somehow they found themselves sipping juice on a bench, their bags on either side of them like bookends holding two quiet stories together. The silence, which had been awkward at the beginning, had faded into a companionable lull. They didn't feel the need to fill it up with what would most assuredly be uncomfortable chit chat. Instead, they happily watched the people who came and went, from joggers to children to dog-walkers. Surprisingly, Sasuke was the one to break the quiet when he paid closer attention to one of the labelled bags in Hinata's repertoire.

"Why do you work at the cafe?" She stiffened almost instantly at his question and Sasuke wondered if it was a touchy subject. However, she relaxed a moment later and began toeing the dirt in front of her.

"Well... everyone has to work at some point, right?"

"Yeah. _Average_ people. You're the heiress to a huge company though," he tapped the corner of the bag that had caught his eye, "and it doesn't look like you're struggling for money, either."

She bit her lower lip and looked pointedly in the opposite direction, "I... I don't have a strong bond with... with my family." A sudden fierceness overtook her demeanor and she whirled on him—though it seemed gentle when she did. "I had to save a lot of money for that! I-I wanted to get my sister a present she deserved." Sasuke almost flinched at the change in her aura, but continued to sip his juice with an objective expression. The most expensive item among her things... and it wasn't even for herself. When he didn't say anything, Hinata's mouth began to bubble over with personal information. "I've always been considered the weak link of the Hyuuga family. I'm not ruthless like most of them. I don't have the sense for business like they do and worst of all..." Suddenly, her eyes welled up. Sasuke tried not to see it. Hinata blinked strongly and breathed to still her voice, "Because of issues she had during her pregnancy with _me..._ my mom died in childbirth with my sister."

The wind blew softly. Sasuke's hair fluttered, tickling his cheeks. Hinata shuddered, realizing that she had just revealed a massive amount of personal information to almost a complete stranger. Sasuke leaned back on the bench, sucking up the last of his juice and thoughtfully chewing the straw. Was the pressure she felt... something like what Itachi had experienced? The death of a parent, all hope for the future of the 'clan' resting on their shoulders? He glanced sidelong at Hinata, who turned away, pulling her purse to her chest as if hoping to hide behind it.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I always seem to be inconveniencing you."

"You apologize too much," he replied. She looked up at him, face rumpled with surging emotions. He ran a hand through his hair and looked away again. "So... you take your whole family's hopes and dreams on yourself. You probably moved out as soon as you could and tried to make it on your own, hoping to _prove_ yourself worthy of their expectations."

Her eyes went misty again, "Yes."

Thinking of Itachi, he gazed at her firmly, "You're probably a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Before she could respond, a child who had been playing in the area threw themselves into a nearby puddle with all their might. The old rain water, laced with mud, shot up in an impressive arc—landing directly across Hinata's legs and filling her flats. She let out a shocked gasp at the chilly sensation, gaping like a caught fish. Sasuke leaned away, for once displaying the full emotion of surprise on his usually-stoic face.

The child's mother ran up and bowed deeply, "I'm so sorry! I let him out of my sight for just a moment and he came running over here!"

Hinata's voice trembled, "I-It's fine... Really, it's fine."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Sasuke cut in, sending a stern look at the child, "Impress the severity of the situation on him, perhaps."

The woman bowed again, "Of course! Yes, I'll make sure it never happens again."

Hinata forced an uncomfortable smile, "Please, it's really nothing." As the woman dragged away her child—who was staring at Sasuke fearfully—Sasuke stood and knelt in front of Hinata. She cocked her head.

"Um...?"

He looked at her over his shoulder with a flicker of mischievous humor, "Looks like I have to carry you back after all. You don't plan on walking in wet shoes, do you?"

Hinata pulled her bags around herself, "Sasuke, you don't have to do that. We hardly know each other."

He gave her a look that clearly read ' _really_?' She gave in, and slowly clambered up onto his back, guiding the handles of her bags into his hands. After standing, he shuffled her up, readjusting her weight so it was easier to carry. He smirked when he felt her tense.

"Do you think I'm going to tell you that you're heavy, or something?"

She gripped the back of his shirt and he could almost hear the flush in her voice, "Most would, in this situation." However, Sasuke didn't. He didn't say anything at all except to ask for directions to her home. The trek was made in a taut silence that trembled when the muddy water began to soak through Sasuke's clothes. Hinata's self-stifled breathing seemed to quaver all around him. He tried not to think about how soft her calves were.

* * *

"Sasuke, will you lend me an ear?"

Sasuke growled under his breath when his Military History professor caught him on the way out of class. He begrudgingly adjusted the weight of his textbooks on his hip and turned, cocking his head as if to say 'sure'.

"I'm completely swamped with filing all these essays, but there's a student who needs some extra assistance on the homework today. Can you help her for me instead?" The teacher looked frayed. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek before nodding. Maybe getting extra brownie points with the staff would help him later on in his college experience. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much. I'll let her know via email. Is there a specific time and place you'd like to meet her?"

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck before setting his books down and grabbing a nearby pen and sticky note, "Um... just send her to this address around seven, I guess."

His professor thanked him profusely and agreed to let the student know.

* * *

Itachi was just pulling a cookbook down off the kitchen shelf when the buzzer rang. He raised his eyebrows, wondering who would be calling at such a late hour. He set the book aside and meandered over to the intercom, pressing a button on it's sleek surface.

"Hello, this is the Uchiha residence. May I ask who this is?"

"Um..." a female voice flickered on the other end, "maybe I have the wrong room number, but I was told that there was someone here named Sasuke who offered to help me with a college assignment. Is this room three zero six?" Itachi wondered when Sasuke had gotten so magnanimous as to offer homework help to a fellow student. However, the girl's voice seemed terribly familiar. He pressed the button again.

"I'll ring you in."

"Thank you so much!"

The buzzer rang and Itachi prowled down the hall, smirking to himself as he approached Sasuke's room. He called out in a sing-song voice, "Little brother! Did you think you could invite a girl over without telling me about it?" He pushed the dark wood door open, revealing Sasuke, who appeared to have fallen asleep while reading on his bed. Itachi paused in the doorway, stopping to smile at the sight of his baby brother's innocent sleeping face.

 _He always looks so much younger this way_.

There was no time to lose if he planned on getting his full amount of teasing in before she arrived, though! He sat on the edge of Sasuke's bed and laid a hand on his lower leg, "Sasuke. You have a visitor."

Sasuke's eyes flickered open and he drank in his surroundings groggily, "I... I have a what?"

Itachi stood and leaned over him, "You invited a girl over? How very astonishing."

Realization dawned in Sasuke's dark eyes and he jumped up, almost knocking heads with his older brother, "Crap!" He darted around his room and found his backpack, rifling through it as soon as his hands made contact with it. "I was supposed to help someone with the stupid assignment from today..."

Itachi crossed his arms, smiling, "That's very generous of you. She must be very adorable."

Sasuke paused his erratic movements to look up at Itachi, confused, "I don't even know who it is so why..." His eyes flared open, "You're planning something! What are you planning?!" Itachi was already ghosting out the bedroom door.

"I was thinking of cooking Italian tonight."

"Itachi!"

There was a knock on the front door. Both brothers froze before making twin expressions of determination at each other. A united cry rang out from both of them.

"It's mine!"

Sasuke vaulted over the couch, nearly slipping on the hardwood floors. Lucky for him, Itachi's long sweater caught a closet doorknob and trapped him long enough for Sasuke to reach the door first. He paused at the threshold, running a hand through his mussed hair and straightening his clothes. With a fixed look of indifference plastered on his face, he opened the door.

"Let's get this over wi... th..."

Hinata blinked owlishly at him from the penthouse entry before smiling sheepishly, "Sorry for bothering you again, Sasuke."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope everyone's been having a good week! I started watching a new k-drama called _Scarlet Heart: Ryeo_ , and it's so, so good! The costumes are so lovely~**

 _Saki-Hime: Nope! The red thread of fate wants these two tied up eheh ^^_

 _HM Akhly: I'm glad you think so! And yeah, with Itachi plotting away it's sure to be fun!_

 _Guest: I have squealed from cuteness overload many times, and there never seems to be a good way to explain it to the people around you hah_

 _madzillaa: I'm glad that you're enjoying it! Hope you keep doing so!_

 _sumire syrup: Yeah, I feel like if Sasuke hadn't been completely orphaned in the canon, he might have a bit of persisting naivete due to his position as the younger sibling. It seemed like a cute idea to explore, so my brooding, spacey Sasuke was born!_

 _Haruka2007: Thank you!_

 _hime23: If I read your review right, thank you! Yes, slow love is my favorite, though I haven't written one in a long time._

 _Guest 2: Thanks ^^_

 _farahb: I'm glad to hear I write Itachi well! Hope you enjoy!_

 **On with the show ;)**

* * *

Chapter 4

The burning sensation of mirthful eyes scalded the back of Sasuke's neck.

"Why, Miss Hyuuga! What a pleasant surprise," the smirk was overtly apparent in Itachi's voice. Sasuke cringed inwardly—this was not going to be an easy night. Looking over his shoulder at Itachi, Hinata bowed politely.

"It's good to see you again, Mister Uchiha, although I'm sorry to impose."

"Not at all! I just wished Sasuke had told me you were coming sooner." Sasuke felt a hard gaze prickle at his back. He looked back to see Itachi gesture towards the kitchen, "I would have had dinner ready by now if I knew you would be joining us." Sasuke needed to put a stop to this before Itachi roped him into some mortifying scheme. He quickly snagged Hinata's messenger bag from her shoulder and beckoned for her to follow him.

"She won't be staying that long," he stated. Hinata looked like she wanted to protest at him carrying her bag, but he shook his head, "Just... come on." She followed as he stalked towards his bedroom, making sure to slip off her shoes in the entry first. When they reached the hallway Itachi called after them.

"Take your time! Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Miss Hyuuga, I hope you'll join us," he gave one of his chilling smiles to Sasuke as if to say 'gotcha'. "It's spaghetti, tonight."

Hinata nodded emphatically, "I'd love to." Panicking, Sasuke growled and grabbed her hand, pulling her down the dark hall to his room. He closed the door behind them and set her bag down, sighing heavily.

"All right, let's _actually_ get this over with. Fast." He dragged his fingers through the front of his hair, closing his eyes and hoping that she only needed help with one of the questions and not the whole thing.

"Um, Sasuke..."

He looked at her fiercely, " _What_?"

"You're..." she seemed to be trying hard not to look at him, "you're still holding my hand." Huh, so he was. Why? Awkwardly, he yanked his hand away like he'd been burned.

"Sorry. Anyway, what did you need help with?"

"Just the last two questions on the assignment. I always have trouble with multi-part questions. It's like they're purposefully written to confuse us." She chuckled softly. When Sasuke didn't even crack a smile, only raising an eyebrow, she gulped and rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "Anyway, I'm sorry that I've even bothered you at your house now. You can't seem to escape from me."

Sasuke shrugged, "It's not a big deal." He rifled through his closet and pulled out a folding chair. After setting it up next to his desk, he waved Hinata over, "Have a seat and get out your assignment. We can share my textbook." Hinata silently followed his instructions. Sasuke settled into his own chair and pulled his textbook closer. "Okay, read me the first part."

* * *

"Wow, that was really helpful!" Hinata's eyes glanced over her worksheet with a bright expression, "I think I'll get a much better grade on this one!"

"Hn." Sasuke flipped his books shut, stacking them up and moving them to the side. He swiveled his chair to watch Hinata pack up her belongings. Her messenger bag, while seemingly a decently high-quality brand, was worn out along the bottom; the fabric had pulled away from the white piping frame and there were several small holes in the corners. He thought about the shopping bags he'd seen her with before in the city. Most of the shops were very commonplace, with the gift for her sister being the only one that was name brand. Clearly, she wasn't sitting easy in the lap of her family's luxury, so how on Earth had she managed to get into a high end school like Konoha U?

"What made you choose _our_ college?" His dark eyes continued sweeping over her with a distant sort of scrutiny. She winced when he asked, but quickly took a deep breath and finished packing her bag. She looked up at him, face set with resolution.

"I... It was the college Naruto chose." A nigh-imperceptible flush colored her cheeks. Both of Sasuke's eyebrows rose for once. He combed through the side of his hair, unsure how to proceed. Had this girl shaped her entire life around Naruto? What kind of person does that? She looked up at him cautiously, grabbing hold of the ends of her hair and running her hands over it again and again, "I know that probably sounds very foolish, but I had my reasons."

"Oh?"

Hinata nodded, "A long time ago, back when we had just started elementary school, I ran into... a bit of a problem. Some of the other students from my private school had been bullying me while I waited for my family's car to pick me up. They... they didn't like my eyes." Her hands fluttered down from her hair, resting folded in her lap. _No_ , Sasuke looked closer, noticing the white-knuckled grip her fingers had on each other, _not resting. Clutching._ She shook her head, sending her hair waving back and forth behind her, "Anyway... I should have just gone to the main office, but I was only five... I wasn't thinking straight. I-I ran... out into the city and the students followed me. Eventually, they cornered me in an alley and were about to... to hurt me... when Naruto showed up."

Sasuke didn't notice that he had leaned forward slightly.

"I'll never forget it," her eyes began to shimmer slightly, "he was just as small as I was, but he didn't care. He just called out to them, demanded they stop." She looked at Sasuke fully, her eyes glowing with admiration for the heroic boy in her memories, "He fought them! Of course, because they were older and bigger, he lost... but he didn't give up. Even when he could barely stand... A passing adult eventually spotted us and shooed the students away. They called my family and I was taken home... but not before I heard them ask what Naruto's name was. I didn't meet him again until high school, when he had been adopted by the mayor and was entered into a nicer school district. He always gave me hope though, from that day forward. That determination was so inspiring! I wanted to be like that too, so I've worked very hard to overcome my..." she looked back at the floor, "my _shortcomings._ I've wanted to be strong like Naruto for all this time. After high school, it was habit that decided I follow him to Konoha U." She looked up again, almost shyly, "So... here I am."

Sasuke bit his lip to hold back a scoff. He'd never met someone so... almost _sickeningly_ enamored with someone before. Well, except his parents, but that was... different, somehow. Parents were _supposed_ to be all ooey-gooey like that. It suited them. It didn't suit a young adult like Hinata, though. No, she should be living life for herself and following her own dreams, growing into her _own_ person and stuff like that.

Not to mention Naruto was hopelessly in love with Sakura. Hinata was lucky he even knew her name.

"Sasuke? Are... are you all right? Sorry for talking too much."

He jolted—what was he getting so worked up over? His eyes cleared as though he was leaving a dark room filled with deep thoughts and he stared at Hinata.  
He had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that there was something admirable about someone pursuing a singular goal for so long. Just a little, though.

Yet... in his opinion... Hinata was already strong enough.

"I hate to interrupt," a smooth voice cut in, "but dinner is ready." Sasuke and Hinata looked up to where Itachi was peering in from the ajar door, eyes creased from a smirk. Sasuke's skin prickled. He knew that expression; Itachi was planning to tease him. Thoroughly. He stood and straightened his shirt.

"You're not interrupting. We just finished and she's not staying." Hinata bowed her head respectfully, pulling the shoulder strap of her bag on.

"Nonsense," Itachi opened the door the rest of the way and placed a hand on his hip, "I already prepared too much for the two of us. Also, it'll be terribly late by the time she gets back to her place, I'm sure." He strode over to the desk and, picking up a ruler, tapped Sasuke on the head with it. "I'm the head of the house, little brother, and I _insist_."

Sasuke rubbed his head, frowning, "Ugh... _fine._ "

Itachi's smile returned, "Please follow me, Miss Hyuuga."

Hinata glanced between them, unsure which brother's path to follow. Eventually, Itachi's gentle charm won her over, as Sasuke was pointedly staring into the opposite corner of the room and refused to make eye contact in order to silently communicate his wishes. She stood, "Thank you for having me."

"It's our pleasure. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Water is fine."

Sasuke slumped back into his seat, listening to their receding voices. He gripped the sides of his head. Hinata was getting in too deep. If Itachi actually _liked_ her, they were in trouble. He'd start inviting her to their get-togethers, their family events... If he _really_ liked her, who knew when he'd suddenly knock on Sasuke's bedroom door and...

 _"Little brother, I signed the family register. You and Miss Hyuuga are now married._ "

He shivered. He'd just have to try and communicate to Hinata that she needed to finish her food quickly so they could make an escape. Sighing, Sasuke pulled himself from his chair and walked to the dining room as if he were marching to the gallows. Hinata was attempting to help bring the food to the table, but Itachi was insisting in his passively-forceful way that she just sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. Sasuke quirked a brow at the candles that were lit around the room, but chalked it up to Itachi's plotting. He caught his brother's eyes as Itachi turned towards the kitchen. Sasuke paled when he caught the words Itachi was mouthing at him.

 _"I like her."_

As soon as he disappeared into the other room, Sasuke made a beeline for his seat. He nearly slammed into the table as he leaned close to Hinata.

"You have to eat fast, okay?" He whispered frantically. Hinata began fiddling with the edge of her shirt.

"I'm so sorry!" She whispered back, "I thought I might be able to convince him to let me go on the way out here but..." she lowered her eyes, "he's even more forcible than my father. I don't know how such a thing is possible. He actually makes you feel like whatever he wants you to do was what _you_ wanted all along."

Sasuke glared in the direction of the kitchen, "You have no idea. That's why you have to hurry. If he thinks you're nice, or funny, or _anything_... he's gonna try to make you a part of our family. I'm sure of it."

Hinata looked suitably scared for a moment before what he said sank in. She immediately burst into stifled giggles, " _What_? Sasuke, I didn't know you had such a sense of humor!"

Sasuke leaned back from her and sighed, "You think I'm joking."

"Well," she leaned her head and looked at him sidelong from behind her bangs, "aren't you? No one would react like that." Sasuke's stomach began to feel fizzy. Her eyes refracted the candlelight, almost glowing against her dark, blue-black hair. He must be hungrier than usual. He closed his eyes and set his jaw.

"Itachi would."

"Ta-da!" Itachi appeared, holding a large pot. He set it on a trivet in the middle of the table before spinning on his heel and heading back, "Just a moment! I need to get the garlic bread!" As he left, Sasuke and Hinata made eye contact again. She giggled at Itachi's mothering demeanor and when it brought a happy color to her face, Sasuke found it was hard to resist chuckling, himself.

* * *

Dinner passed in a surprisingly uneventful manner. Sasuke had been nervous the whole time, but Itachi had seemed content to simply make pleasant conversation. He asked Hinata about herself and Sasuke couldn't help but notice how she'd stumble over vague answers before inevitably turning the focus of dialogue away from herself. It seemed like she had been made to believe that she was the most uninteresting thing in the world and that no one could possibly want to hear about anything she truly cared about. He found himself just a little bothered by that and by the end of the night was almost subconsciously making it his goal to get her to open up a little. The conscious part was pointing fingers inside his head and jeering. She was just some girl from school who liked his best friend. It would be meaningless to befriend her.

He failed to notice Itachi's soft smile hidden behind a hand.

Then, _somehow_... Itachi talked him into walking her home. It was a large city, after all, wouldn't want her getting into any dangerous situations. When Sasuke excused himself to go grab a jacket from his room, Itachi began to clear the dishes. He told Hinata not to mind it and to just wait for Sasuke. However, she grew anxious after several minutes had gone by and decided to ignore his command and help out anyway. As she approached the kitchen, dishes in hand, she heard a low cough. It seemed to worsen the closer she got and when she reached the kitchen door it took everything she had to keep from dropping the dishes.

"B-b- _blood_! Is that blood?!"

Itachi had just pulled the napkin he had been coughing into away from his mouth. It was covered in red stains. His eyes flicked up to Hinata, who had started trembling. He suddenly sprang into action.

"No! Of course not," he chuckled. "It's just spaghetti sauce. I spilled it on the counter and was cleaning it with this. See?" He held the napkin out to her. Hinata lowered her free hand from covering her mouth and observed the cloth. Sure enough, there were some tomato-y bits on it. She let out a relieved sigh and quickly set the dishes down in the sink. She bowed when she turned around.

"Sorry for freaking out like that."

Itachi smiled and waved his hand dismissively, "I would have been surprised too."

"I'm ready! Couldn't find my jacket," Sasuke nearly sped past the kitchen. He paused and leaned in, "Are you ready to go, Hinata?"

She nodded quickly before turning to Itachi once more, "Thank you for having me. It was delicious."

"Again," Itachi smiled pleasantly, "it was my pleasure. Have a safe trip home and please, feel free to come again any time." Hinata smiled in reply and followed Sasuke to the entry. She stopped to put her shoes on and gather her belongings and then they made their way down.

The cool night air met them briskly as they meandered out onto the sidewalk. They began a silent trek back to Hinata's apartment. For the city, it was a quiet night, with few cars on the roads and few pedestrians walking around. Sasuke watched Hinata out of the corner of his eye. As if feeling his stare, she drew her bags closer to her like a shield. He looked away, moving towards the side of the sidewalk closer to the road without a word.

"I'm sorry."

He looked at her blankly, "What for?"

"Well," Hinata kicked a pebble that was in her path, "like I said before, for bothering you almost incessantly. I'm sure you must be tired of me by now."

Sasuke rolled his shoulders idly, looking out across the city, "And _I_ said you apologize too much. You don't have to; you're not bothering me." She went quiet at that, nodding to herself as though processing his words. Minutes passed and Sasuke wondered if he'd hurt her feelings in some way. People were weird—he rarely understood conversational nuance. Hinata spoke up again.

"Then, please..." Her breath was barely above a whisper, "Please tell me if I ever bother you. I hate to be a nuisance to people."

Sasuke nodded, humming his acceptance quietly. His chest felt warm. No one had ever guaranteed that they'd leave him be if he so desired before. It was... nice. His lips curved upwards a fraction and the pair continued their walk. They had just reached the busiest intersection so far when a voice rang out above city soundscape.

"Oi, Sasuke!"

Sasuke and Hinata both jumped, looking around towards the direction of the voice. Sasuke bristled. It was Naruto... and he wasn't alone. Sakura was there too, along with some other mutual acquaintances: Shikamaru, Choji and Ino. Naruto smiled wide, linking his arms behind his head as he sauntered up, the others in tow.

"Sasuke, what are you doing out with Hinata, eh? Going on a date?"

Hinata blushed, "N-no! We were just... just..."

Sasuke blinked, "If you must know, I was helping her with a Military History assignment."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and jabbed Sasuke in the side with an elbow, "Out here? In the middle of the city? Pretty suspicious, you sly jerk!"

"I'm walking her home."

Naruto laughed boisterously, " _Sasuke_? Walking a girl home? Are you sure you're Sasuke?" He pawed at Sasuke teasingly. Sasuke growled under his breath and waved Naruto's hands away irritably. Hinata began to sink into an embarrassed puddle as the others started making similar teasing comments.

"Ne, ne, Sasuke! You're not hiding anything, _are you_?"

Sasuke snapped and swatted Naruto away, "As if! Now can I walk in peace? I'd like to get home at a decent hour." His hand darted down to catch one of Hinata's and he pulled her onto the crosswalk after him as the 'walk' symbol lit up. Naruto catcalled and hollered inane jokes after them and Sasuke sped up. Hinata looked over her shoulder just in time to see Ino whisper something into Sakura's ear and Sakura's eyes harden.

It wasn't until her apartment building was in sight that Sasuke realized he had made a mistake again—he was still holding Hinata's hand. It seemed he had walked too fast, too. She was panting slightly and her pale face was blotchy from exertion. He let go of her hand and subtly wiped his own on his pant leg.

"I... Sorry."

"It's okay," Hinata shook her head to reassure him. "You were in a hurry. Thank you for walking me home."

"Yeah..." Sasuke trailed off awkwardly and Hinata shifted her weight back and forth.

"Well..." she angled to leave.

"Listen," Sasuke's mouth seemed to have disconnected from his brain and was running its own campaign now, "if we're going to keep running into each other..."

Hinata looked up at him, eyes wide and glimmering in the city lights. He felt the need to wipe his hand on his pants again. She blinked once, "Yes...?"

"If we're going to keep meeting, at least make it on purpose, I guess," he ended lamely. She looked confused and he rushed to elaborate, "We can meet up any time you need help with homework. I don't really have any other obligations and if earlier was anything to go by... You could use the help."

"Are you," her eyebrows knit together, "offering to tutor me?"

Sasuke sighed, "Um. Yeah."

Hinata's face bloomed into a jovial smile, "Really? Thank you! I look forward to next time!" Sasuke made a vague gesture with his shoulders and Hinata turned at last, waving over her shoulder as she made her way to the building entrance, "Have a good night, Sasuke!"

"Yeah," he muttered. "You too."


	5. Chapter 5

**Ah, you guys are too smart and asking questions with secret answers, hehe.**

 _Kichisaburo: Thanks for reading! Glad you love it so far._

 _aurora0914: Don't worry, it was just spaghetti sauce!_

 _Guest 1: He's not sick, although I can't make any promises about the future ;)_

 _Saki-Hime: I'm assuming you mean Sasuke, but yes, he's nice in his own little Sasuke way ^^_

 _Danish78: Happy to hear you were pleasantly surprised. Hope you enjoy!_

 _hime23: Yeah, Sasuke's a bit of a dork in my story. We'll have to wait and see about Sakura and Ino though, heh._

 _sumire syrup: I'm glad he comes across as cute! Yeah, it does seem like Hinata opened up too fast... There will be more development with that, though, so don't worry!_

 _amalia4414: Glad you liked it!_

 _Guest 2: Thank you for the compliment! Will do my best to keep this up to snuff!_

 _farahb: Glad you laughed! Itachi... well, I'm afraid it's a secret for now!_

 _rockyourlove: Poor Hinata can be blissfully unaware, for sure. Glad you're enjoying this so far and hope it continues!_

 **Thanks for all the follows and reviews! Let me know if you'd like me to move my author's notes to the end, although I may have to soon if there get to be too many. Please let me know if you see any errors or are confused about anything, although I can't answer questions that relate to the plot, naturally. Hope everyone has a nice night and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5

"You guys have sure been spending a lot of time together."

Sasuke's stomach lurched and he remembered that he and Hinata were not alone; Naruto had decided to tag along with them for part of the journey home after school. Sasuke glanced sidelong at his blond friend, who was now gazing at him with a weightier look than expected. Hinata had gone very stiff at Naruto's observation and Sasuke was too uncomfortable to check if her usual blush was there. Instead he looked at Naruto fully. Naruto smirked.

"Ya know, Sasuke... The others have been asking why you keep turning down our invites for hanging out..."

"Hn..." Sasuke looked at the sidewalk ahead of them, unsure how to respond. The truth was he'd _never_ really enjoyed meeting with friends in large groups. For one, he only ever felt truly close to Naruto and that was a tenuous statement at best. The others were more like Naruto accessories than truly _friends_ in Sasuke's mind. They were just people who had grown up in the same school system and had shared classes with him frequently.

"I... I'm sorry I've been taking up so much of his time," Hinata murmured tentatively. Sasuke withheld a chuckle. Anyone who would be so infatuated with Naruto to be _cautious_ around him was... special. Naruto looked at Hinata curiously for a moment before letting out a loud, pleasant laugh.

"Hinata! You're really funny, you know that?"

Her eyes glowed in response. She looked starstruck. Sasuke rolled his eyes and blew out a snide puff of air at the lock of his hair that had ventured out of place, "Just say what you're implying outright, idiot."

Naruto pouted, "So cold! I'm not _implying_ anything, jerk." Sasuke felt a light touch on his arm and looked down to see Hinata not-quite looking at him through her eyelashes.

"You're not missing time with your friends in order to tutor me, are you?"

Sasuke didn't feel his eyes soften as he breathed out a quiet "of course not", but Naruto noticed. He knit his fingers behind his head and sighed loudly.

"Welp," he said when they reached an intersection, "this is my turn. You two don't get into any trouble, 'kay?" He winked and jogged off in a different direction from the way they were headed. Hinata waved after him. Sasuke finally chortled aloud and nudged her with an elbow.

"He can't see you waving at him, you know."

Hinata lowered her hand and bit her lip, "Well... well I have to _try_ , right?" Sasuke shrugged and they continued making their way to his apartment.

* * *

They were just breaking from studying for a snack when Sasuke's pocket buzzed. He slipped his phone out and tapped the messages icon. It was from Itachi.

 _"Go ahead and eat dinner without me. I have a meeting that's running late."_

That was new. Usually Itachi planned his days like clockwork and was never late for anything. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the text accusingly, feeling that this supposed 'late meeting' had been crafted on purpose out of a misguided desire to give him and Hinata some time alone.

Time... alone? In the apartment?

After their parents' passing, Itachi had been very considerate in making sure he was home to spend the evenings with Sasuke so that Sasuke would never feel like he was alone. He'd only been a few minutes late a meager handful of times and not for several years, despite the fact that Sasuke was in college and perfectly capable of taking care of himself now. From the moment he'd first helped Hinata with her work to every other time before this one, he'd never been alone with her in his home.

Sasuke's tongue felt a little fuzzy and he wasn't terribly sure why.

"Is everything okay?" Hinata peered around the kitchen doorway, her long hair slipping from her shoulder to hang like a dark curtain beside her. Sasuke dropped his phone back into his pocket and shrugged.

"Yeah. Itachi's not gonna be home tonight, that's all."

Hinata smiled teasingly, "Leaving us alone together? So scandalous!"

When she giggled softly, Sasuke couldn't help but joke back, "What would your father say?"

She paused, expression faltering, "I, uh... I..." Sasuke grumbled at himself inwardly. He'd messed up. Over the course of their several weeks together, they'd slowly been opening up to each other. Hinata was very quiet for the most part, which he liked. Her sense of humor was very simple and easy to grasp normally... They were still getting to know each other though, and in these quiet moments they shared, it was easy to forget some of the... less-talked-about details of their lives. He finished his walk into the kitchen and patted her head almost subconsciously before moving towards the fridge.

"Sorry."

Hinata shook her head, "It's fine... Honestly, I just realized I have no idea what he'd say. I haven't spoken to him for a really long time. My only connection to the family right now is my cousin."

"Cousin?"

She nodded as she pulled two glasses down from the cupboard, "Neji. He's the only one I'd really consider family, these days." Sasuke absently took the glasses from her and filled them with a water pitcher from the fridge.

"And... does he know about... your tutoring sessions?" Why did that matter? Why the heck did Sasuke care? Hinata wandered over to the pantry and slid open the door, pretending to study the stock of food.

"There's no way I could tell him about this... He's really, _really_ overprotective and I'm sure he'd immediately start imagining..." she trailed off and Sasuke watched the side of her face he could see flush, " _things_." She whirled on her heels, trying to push away the awkwardness with a smile. Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"Sounds like an average Hyuuga, I suppose."

Hinata wrinkled her nose in mock offense, "Rude!" They shared a quiet laugh and she smiled up at him, "Thanks for apologizing, though. I know you didn't mean anything by it, but it still feels nice to be considered."

Sasuke smirked as he leaned back on the counter, "What, and all these tutoring sessions aren't 'consideration'?" He drank deeply from his glass but kept Hinata in his sight over the top. She seemed to scramble for a response.

"Of course it is! I... Just... Thank you so much for all this... You're the only one I've ever felt comfortable enough to do this kind of thing with." Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. Hinata waved a hand, "It's not as if I don't have any friends, or anything. I have Kiba and Shino and... I guess I'm pretty close with all the stage production students."

Sasuke let out an amazed scoff, " _Stage production_? You?" She shrugged, confused. Sasuke tried to imagine why a timid little thing like Hinata would be interested in something showy and loud like stage production, but then it hit him. He smirked at her once more, "Don't tell me you chose that because Naruto is in an acting class?" Hinata's eyes went wide for just a second before she lowered her head sheepishly. Sasuke shook his head, "You did, didn't you?"

She nodded.

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair, "Just... just how long are you planning on following him...?" He hadn't really meant to ask it out loud. It had just slipped out with his semi-shocked sigh. Hinata rubbed her arm and looked at the tile floor. Sasuke wondered if she was embarrassed... or ashamed. She chewed her lip.

"I guess... until he notices me?" She continued to stare at the floor as though she could burn a hole in it with her gaze. Sasuke's jaw attempted to fall agape, but he quickly brought it back up. He set his glass on the counter and crossed his arms, pressing one hand to his forehead. He dragged it down his face and stared at the enigmatic girl before him.

"Hinata... What if... What if he doesn't?" The air grew tense when her head snapped up. She looked at him with hurt in her eyes, but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to feel sorry. It was foolish behavior to devote herself so entirely to someone she wasn't even that close to. Something about it bothered him and he felt the need to pester her over it. She set her jaw and Sasuke felt indignant when her fist clenched at her side.

"Then... that's the risk I have to take. Naruto's worth that to me." Her voice trembled at the end and Sasuke's resolve finally cracked. He didn't want to make her close up again, not when he'd made so much headway with their... friendship? What exactly was the proper term for their relationship?

 _A tutor and his student_ , he decided quickly. He snagged her empty glass from her hand and set it aside before making to leave the kitchen. He beckoned after her.

"Come on, let's finish up the last of the assignment."

Even though they'd come so close to quarreling, Hinata's face still warmed at the sight of his outstretched hand and she was quick to follow after him. That, Sasuke concluded, was what made her so easy to get along with. If it were Naruto, he'd push the intensity of a difficult conversation until they were in a physical scuffle. If it were Sakura, she'd be quick to change her tone so as not to offend him. Anyone else would either try to cower out of having to talk to him, comply with whatever he wanted silently, or some other irritating route... but Hinata... She was different from the other people in his life. He appreciated the refreshing notes of her presence and he decided that he didn't mind calling whatever they had 'friendship'.

She'd probably be one of the best friends he'd ever had.

* * *

"Thanks, as always."

"You don't have to keep thanking me. Just thank me once when the semester changes and you stop needing my help."

"Okay, okay," Hinata smiled and tapped her shoe once more to make sure it was on properly before she started walking home. Sasuke looked at the city beyond her warily.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home again?"

Hinata shook her head emphatically, "I'm fine, honest. It's staying light later now, because summer's coming. I'll be fine."

"Okay, geez, I just asked once," Sasuke tried to sound irritated, but couldn't help the playful tone from entering his voice. Hinata chuckled and adjusted her bag's strap.

"By the way," she said, "I have to stay a little later after class on Friday because we're starting rehearsals for a play, so I have to be there to help put everything away."

"O...kay?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why are you telling me this?"

She laughed and lightly smacked his arm, "Because that's our next session, silly!" Sasuke muttered awkwardly. Duh, it was their next session. Where was his head lately? Hinata continued, "Anyway, I was just letting you know that you're welcome to come by the auditorium and meet me there, but you can just leave ahead of me if you want."

"I'll come."

She looked surprised at his quick response, "Um. Okay... I'll see you tomorrow, then!" With one last, bright smile she waved and jogged off into the din of Konoha. Sasuke, confident that he was alone, watched her go with the ghost of a smile playing on his face.

"Well, hey, Sasuke!"

He jolted, looking over his shoulder at the smug face of Ino. He slumped in on himself and growled a terse greeting, "Ino." Her eyebrows rose a millimeter before she schooled her expression into a saccharine, narrow-eyed grin. She approached him haughtily and nodded in the direction Hinata had gone.

"Sorry I'm not Hinata. I'm sure I'd receive a better response than _that_ if I was."

Sasuke stiffened, "What are you talking about?"

Her sweet smile dropped into an icy look, "Don't play dumb, Sasuke. I know you're not _that_ dense." He only frowned, so she continued with a _tsk_ , "You've been pretty absent from the usual meet-ups. Not that you showed that often anyway. Lately though, it feels like you've dropped off the face of the earth. Even Naruto said something last time." Her blue eyes went positively frigid, yet a fake smile spread over her face, "Sakura has _really_ missed you. She's been pretty down about it." Sasuke bristled at her manipulative expressions. They felt like the higher ups who worked at Sharingan Corp, who were always dripping with false, condescending respect.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Ino gave him a withering glance, "Listen. All I'm saying is that if you keep blowing people off and being really obvious about spending time with Hinata Hyuuga, there's gonna be some rumors. Konoha seems like a big city, but the realm of the upper class is a bubble and _everyone_ knows _everything_ that happens in it _._ "

"You gonna be the one who spreads those rumors?" Sasuke snapped. Ino laughed harshly.

"Of course not, your royal douchiness. I don't start rumors, I just hear them."

"Pfft," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He turned and strode back through the spinning door of the apartment building. Ino called after him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Sasuke!"

* * *

Friday came and Sasuke had completely forgotten about Ino's ominous warnings. He had pushed them aside as soon as their conversation was over, in fact. Ino wasn't someone he had ever been able to take seriously. Still, a creeping paranoia of his own thoughts had begun to blossom at the back of his mind.

He stood at the auditorium doors, wondering if Hinata would be alone. If others were there... would they notice if they left together? Would it matter?

 _No._ He scolded himself for being worried. What would anyone say, anyway? Oh, Hinata Hyuuga left with her tutor! Clearly there's something to talk about! He laughed to himself and shoved the door open, marching in with resolve.

The room was empty.

There were rows upon rows of dark red seats, stretching down towards a massive stage on the opposite end of the auditorium. Sasuke exhaled softly, drinking in the surroundings with a minutely curious stare. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking down one of the aisles towards the backstage door.

A rustle in the sound booth overhead made him look up. The speakers in the building crackled to life and a familiar song started to play. Sasuke grimaced when he recognized the lyrics.

 _"There, you see her... sitting there across the way. She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her..."_

Sasuke tried to peer into the window of the sound booth to see who had put on such an ear worm-y, obnoxious song, but the lights were off. He continued his exploration and tried to ignore the prickling sensation on his skin that shouted that he was being watched.

 _"And you don't know why but you're dying to try... You wanna kiss the girl!"_

He shivered and sped up his pace, launching himself over the edge of the stage as soon as he reached it.

 _"Yes, you want her. Look at her you know you do..."_

He nearly kicked the backstage door open and slipped into the darkness. Just beyond the short hall that he followed, the ceiling opened up into a massive room filled with a labyrinth of boxes, tables, shelves, and assorted piles of stage equipment. The song continued blaring and Sasuke was so busy trying to tune it out that he almost missed the collection of snickering voices that were singing along from somewhere else in the room.

 _"Shalalalala! My, oh my, looks like the boy's too shy, ain't gonna kiss the girl! Shalalalala, ain't that sad, it's such a shame, too bad... You're gonna miss the girl."_

Sasuke shoved aside a rack of different backdrop fabrics and wound his way deeper into the room. He couldn't help but feel like someone, specifically a certain orange-wearing, _blond_ someone, had made him the target of some kind of strange harassment.

 _"...Boy, you better do it soon, no time would be better. She don't say a word and she won't say a word until you kiss the girl..."_

The chorus kicked up again and Sasuke could have sworn he heard a very familiar, raucous laugh emanate from the rafters. Where was Hinata? He shrugged off the singing and slipped through an archway of boxes, "Hinata!" The song continued playing but a chorus of mocking voices called down at him in exaggerated voices.

"Hinata! Ooh, Hinata!"

Somehow he managed to hear her call out a "I'm over here" over the music.

 _"Shalalalala, don't stop now, don't try to hide it how... You wanna kiss the girl!"_

The song faded at the bridge and Sasuke finally saw a peek of Hinata's bluish hair over some shelves, illuminated by bright overhead lights. He breathed a sigh of relief and called out to her, "Hinata!" She turned around and her eyes went wide.

"Oh, Sasuke! Hold on..." She yanked a walkie-talkie from her belt and spoke into it, "Shikamaru, can you turn the music down? It's really loud back here."

The walkie-talkie beeped and a voice on the other end rasped, "Ugh...fine..."

"Sorry," she murmured. Almost immediately, the music quieted down, revealing the location of the teasing group who had been singing loudly with it.

"Kiss the girl! Kiss the girllllll!"

Sasuke peered up into the blackness of the rafters, where a group of familiar faces standing on a lift were singing and laughing as they pointed at him. Naruto, Hinata's friend Kiba, and Choji stood out the most. The rest were other theater students. Shino stood on the corner of the lift, looking uncomfortable, as if he didn't want to be there. Naruto was the last to stop singing, only ceasing when Kiba elbowed him in the ribs fiercely. Sasuke glared at the lot of them.

"What's up with _you_ guys?"

Naruto and Kiba shared a conspiratory look before Kiba leaned on the railing of the lift, showing off a toothy grin, "Just thought you could use the encouragement."

Encouragement? What were these idiots talking about? Sasuke eyed Hinata sidelong. She was halfway submerged inside a cabinet, organizing folded costumes and clearly not listening. He looked back to the group above.

"Encouragement for what? What's the deal with all this?" He gestured at the speakers and then the group of pranksters. The group all started chuckling and Kiba leaned forward a bit further.

" _Dude_ , everyone knows." Kiba smirked and Naruto nodded sharply humming in agreement.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Knows _what_?"

Kiba inclined his head towards Hinata, who was still completely preoccupied, "You're in love with her."

Sasuke's expression went flat. Were... were they _joking_? What kind of idiots would think _he_ , Sasuke Uchiha, would be 'in love' with anyone? Hinata finally re-emerged from the cabinet and shut the door, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Whew! All done!"

Sasuke moved closer to her, "Ready to go?"

"Yes!" She picked up her bag from a nearby table and slung it over her shoulder before heading back towards the door. Sasuke threw a dark look over his shoulder at Naruto, Kiba and the rest, who had started making kiss-y faces and other ridiculous gestures. He looked down at the row of levers which dotted the wall below the lift, then at a close pile of plastic bags filled with old, outdated costumes. Smirking, he kicked the lever marked 'lift storage' and spun on his heel, chuckling as he marched away when he heard the yelps of falling students. The lift tilted sideways completely, toppling its riders into the costume bags below.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice called after him, "You total jerk!"

* * *

Saturday was peaceful. Itachi was out running errands and Naruto was busy with left-over homework from the week. Even though they'd gotten closer, Hinata wouldn't dream of calling him of her own accord. So, Sasuke was allowed to enjoy the silent apartment and doze happily.

He was just drifting in and out of a memory-dream of a picnic he'd gone on with his family when there was a sudden buzz from the direction of the intercom. Sasuke reluctantly dragged himself from the couch and pressed the button, resisting the urge to curse at whoever it was that disturbed his day off.

"Who is it?"

"Sasuke?" It was Sakura. She sounded concerned, "Can I come up?"

His muscles tensed, "What for?" What was she doing over at his apartment alone and without calling first? She was usually much more polite than that. He heard her sigh on the other end.

"Sasuke... We need to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Naturally, if he didn't let her in, she'd probably hang around all day and then convince Itachi to allow her up. So, already bracing himself for the onslaught of babble that was surely to come, Sasuke buzzed Sakura in. He opened the front door to the apartment then meandered into the kitchen to make a cup of tea for himself while he waited for Sakura to come up.

He was just setting a teabag into his filled mug when he heard the apartment's entryway open and the clatter of Sakura pulling off her boots. Her pink hair slowly slipped into view around the kitchen door when she cautiously peered inside.

"Oh, good," she smiled awkwardly, "you're in here." Sasuke simply stared at her blankly. She cleared her throat and looked away as she finished entering the kitchen, one hand clasping her other arm across her back. Sasuke pulled the tea bag and drew the mug to his lips, taking a sip and waiting for Sakura to start speaking. After shuffling around for a few moments, she leaned her hips back against the counter opposite him and rested her palms on it. "So... you're probably wondering why I'm here..."

Sasuke took another sip of tea before shrugging, "So get to the point, then."

Sakura flinched, "I... just wanted to see you. You've been pretty absent, lately."

"I've been busy."

"R-really?" Sakura's voice was tight, like an over-wound violin string. She forced a shaky smile, "What have you been up to?"

Sasuke's brows lowered a fraction, "I said 'get to the point', Sakura." He set his mug down on the counter roughly, openly displaying his displeasure at her interruption of his day. Sakura straightened slightly, drawing her hands together so she could fidget with one of her bracelets. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before fixing a steady gaze on Sasuke.

"I _was_ trying to be polite," she said, "but I can see you're as impatient as ever." Met only with a fierce glint from Sasuke's dark eyes, she pressed on. "I just... I wanted to come over today to make sure you weren't making a big mistake."

"Mistake?"

Sakura swallowed thickly, "A mistake with... Hinata." Sasuke grunted irritably and stalked away, grabbing Sakura's hand and dragging her towards the front door.

"I had a feeling that's what this was about. You've made your point," he waved a hand at the entry, "so you can go, now."

Pulling her hand out of his loose grip, Sakura backed up into the living room, "Just _listen_ to me, won't you?"

Sasuke pressed his weight down on one leg and crossed his arms, "Then _hurry up_." Sakura scrambled for words, green eyes frantically darting between his face and the surrounding room and back again.

"A lot of us um... feel like you've just completely dropped us because you've made a new friend... Some of us," her breathing calmed and she looked at the floor, "some of us are really, _really_ hurt by that."

"And by 'some of us' you mean _you_ , right?" Sasuke scoffed, "I didn't realize how I spent my free time was any of your business, Sakura."

Her eyes flared, "I've been worried about you!"

"Why?" He pulled himself up to his full height, looming over her, "Why does it seem to bother everyone _so much_ that I've been spending time with Hinata Hyuuga?"

"Because it feels like you've replaced us!" Tears had welled up in Sakura's eyes. Her hands were fists outstretched on either side of her. Her lower lip trembled, "It feels like you just walked out with the first fresh person you met and left everyone behind—everyone who's been _there_ for you your _whole_ life!"

"Like _who_?" Sasuke hissed in exasperation. Sakura froze and seemed to collapse in on herself. Her wide eyes stared back at him, wavering. A grim, hoarse laugh escaped him and Sasuke ran both hands through either side of his hair. They stood in pained silence for a few moments before he jabbed a finger at her.

"You're always talking about yourself, Sakura. I don't know why you bother trying to hide it."

"I-," she took another deep breath and looked away, "I never said I was talking about me." Sasuke shook his head and crossed his arms.

"I don't know where you got this idea that I'm so close to you and _your_ friends," he murmured. Sakura opened her mouth to say something but he continued, giving her a harsh glare, "Not a single one of those people you think I'm friends with has ever 'been there' for me except _maybe_ Naruto, and you don't even treat him like part of your little 'group' half the time _."_

Stomping a foot, Sakura shook her head sharply, "How can you say that? I've known you your whole life, too! _I've_ been there for you!"

"When, Sakura, when? Where were you at any time it _really_ mattered?"

Sakura winced, catching the expression in Sasuke's eyes. They burned with a pain that had been stuffed and smothered deeper down over many years. She bit her lip and Sasuke smiled ruefully at her guilty look before frowning.

"Where were you when my parents died and the whole school ignored me for the rest of the year? Where were you in middle school, when I was grounded for months from acting out over Itachi being gone for two weeks and couldn't leave the house? Where were you the first year of high school, when I was hospitalized because of—," he bit back the rest of his enraged query and turned away. Sakura's pink head dipped lower with each question. After a tense minute passed, Sasuke sighed deeply and returned his gaze to Sakura. "I just... Hinata is really easy to talk to. It just... _works_." For an instant, it seemed like Sakura made a strange face somewhere between a smile and a silent scream. Then, her face crumpled and she let out a wet, strangled cry.

"Sasuke..."

"What?"

She looked up at him with tearful eyes, "I-I'm sorry if it never felt like I was supporting you... I promise I was... I just didn't know how to tell you. You always get so angry when you're in pain..."

He bristled, " _That's_ your problem. You act like you're close to me, but you always get scared when things get messy. You always run away." With every word, Sakura's self-assurance seemed to crack more and more. She breathed in with a quavering hum.

"I just don't want to hurt you more, Sasuke... You know, I..." she trailed off and Sasuke tensed. It had been a long time since he had been alone with Sakura. Years, even. The last time had been during the second year of high school, where they'd a similar fight and she'd... confessed to him. A sinking feeling in his gut told him that her behavior in this moment was far too similar and his instincts had rarely been wrong before. Sure enough, Sakura straightened up and squared her shoulders, "I _love_ you, Sasuke. It breaks my heart that I've hurt you like this so please... Won't you let me try to make it up to you? Will you let me... love you?"

For a moment Sasuke had felt like he might be getting through to her. Foolishly, he had hoped she might finally be understanding that he just didn't connect with her like he might with other people. It had never worked before, though. He didn't know why he didn't expect this very result. He exhaled loudly and met Sakura's hopeful gaze with a level stare devoid of emotion.

"Sakura. Get out."

"W-what?"

He placed a firm grasp on her shoulder and guided—almost shoved—her towards the front door, "Get out of my apartment."

"Sasuke, _please_."

"Stop. Sakura, we've had this conversation before. I don't feel the same and... I don't think I ever will."

Her tears fell freely and she flailed in his grip, "Why won't you just give me a chance? Why won't you try to trust me?" He kicked her shoes towards her feet.

"I. Don't. _Want._ To _."_

"But you'll let _Hinata_ get close? You hardly even _know_ her! What if she's just using you?" Sakura clasped a hand over her mouth as if she knew she'd gone too far. Sasuke yanked his hand away from her shoulder, rearing back with a disgusted expression.

"Don't talk about her like that."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "You... You really _do_ love her, don't you?"

Sasuke tossed her shoes out the door and shoved her through the entry, "Is that all you can think about? Is that the only motivation for having relationships in your mind?"

"You're not denying it."

"I don't owe you an explanation. Now, get out of my apartment building."

Sakura picked up her shoes, cheeks burning from her wounded ego, "Fine. If that's how you've always felt, then I guess we won't need to see each other again."

"Great. Whatever. Leave."

Sakura spun and bolted for the elevator, pausing to yank on her shoes. Sasuke didn't wait to watch her go, only receding back into the apartment with a bitter taste on his tongue.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late."

Sasuke stirred from his half-slumber, peering over the couch back at the front door. Itachi yawned behind a polite hand as he set down his briefcase. He shimmied out of his jacket and then walked into the living room, slumping down in an armchair, heavy with exhaustion. Sasuke rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up. His face melted into a heavy frown. Itachi swiveled around in his seat and quirked a brow.

"Did something happen?"

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke studied the coffee table with a forced preoccupation. Itachi inhaled and exhaled before leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. He allowed his head to hang for a minute and then looked back at Sasuke.

"You've been sleeping during the day more frequently, Sasuke," he murmured gently. Sasuke bristled and Itachi hurried on, "I just wanted to make sure you're doing all right. It might just be because of the end of the quarter approaching... and because you've started tutoring Miss Hyuuga."

"I'm fine," Sasuke replied flatly. Itachi rubbed the back of his head and puffed out his cheeks.

"If you say so. I just want to ensure my precious _little brother's_ safety."

"Well, what about you?"

Itachi froze, "What do you mean?"

Sasuke's dark eyes flicked to him in a guarded stare, "You've been home late a lot. You're _never_ late. What's that about? You look paler, too."

An uncomfortable moment passed before Itachi let out a small chuckle, "To be honest... My whole day has been getting shoved back because I'm staying up too late with the Akatsuki." In an instant, all of Sasuke's indignant solemnity evaporated. He wrinkled his nose.

" _Those_ weirdos?" He let out an exaggerated groan and threw himself against the back of the couch, "I can't believe you're pushing back _work_ to hang out with _them_." Itachi chuckled good-naturedly and stood. He walked over and ruffled Sasuke's hair.

"Yes, yes... But those 'weirdos' are going to be spending some time with us in the near future, so I can't have my precious little brother moping around the house." Sasuke grumbled nonsensically under his breath and Itachi chortled once more. "Now, how about I fix us some supper?"

* * *

"Let's go out."

Sasuke's eyelids fluttered briefly as Hinata's sudden statement sank in, "What?" She melted down onto her forearms at the side of his desk—purple pen and notebook forgotten—and blinked up at him with twinkling eyes and a shy grin. Her smiled broadened at his muted reply.

"I know finals are coming... and we should _really_ be studying..." she bit her lower lip, attempting to quell her blossoming joy. Sasuke swallowed thickly. Hinata shook her head, "I just feel like we'll be more productive if we get out of the apartment a little. A break, I guess." She hid the lower half of her face behind her text book, glancing back at Sasuke through her lashes. He breathed out slowly and sat back in his chair, pushing away the clouded mindset of deep study.

"Um... okay. Where do you wanna go?"

Her face lit up as she jumped to her feet, "Can we go shopping?"

Sasuke did his best not to grimace openly, "Er... How about... not... that..." Her face fell.

"Oh... I needed to go shopping for summer, though..." her head and shoulders sank. She started fiddling with her shirt hem and whispered, "...and I wanted to ask you something." Sasuke raised his eyebrows and blinked at her questioningly. Catching his curious glance, she quickly waved a hand back and forth, "It can't just be here, though! It has to be the right moment!"

Despite the most sterile, logical side of his brain attempting to keep him cool, Sasuke couldn't help but feel his heart miss a beat. He licked his lips and felt a strange smirk curl over his lips.

"Well... all right, then. Let's go."

* * *

Sasuke truly hated crowds. He wondered absently why Hinata couldn't have just waited for the weekend to drag him out shopping, since she made it seem like he _absolutely_ had to be there. The after-school crowds filled the mall with a frenetic buzz. Swarms of young people of all ages clogged the various twists and turns and the few families that were present seemed intent on allowing their infants to screech uninhibited. Subconsciously, he hovered much closer to Hinata than he normally would.

She expertly led him through the sea of people, moving with purpose towards a singular goal. Occasionally she'd reach back to snag his hand at more crowded intersections. He noticed beyond his haze that she was saying something about "summer approaching" and how it was "always good to think ahead", but the stress of their surroundings prevented him from responding with more than the occasional hum or head nod. Eventually, they reached her destination.

A swimsuit store.

Sasuke's shoes seemed to catch at the threshold. His skin prickled. Hinata looked back, cocking her head, puzzled.

"Is something wrong?"

His eyes darted over the shop sign, the front display windows, the throng of girls inside. He narrowed his eyes and pulled his shoulders up slowly in a tentative shrug, "Well..." Hinata followed the panicked trail of his gaze. She giggled and slapped his arm playfully.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna try them on and ask for your opinion, or anything. You can wait here if you'd like."

"I would."

She nodded in understanding and released his hand, disappearing into the store. His stomach flip-flopped, anxiety taking over at being left alone in the crowded mall, but Sasuke quickly tamped it down and stood off to the side of the shop door. He did his best to ignore the overly-loud exclamations from passing girls, who'd shriek to their friends and none-too-subtly point at him.

When boredom threatened to overwhelm his senses, he turned to analyzing why Hinata had insisted on forcing him out with her. A niggling thread of thought claimed that it had originally been her plan to lure him out and show off what she thought were cute outfits in an attempt to seduce him, but he knew that wasn't the case as she still floundered in the presence of Naruto and because she had left him outside the store. He chewed his lip thoughtfully. What was the ever-so-important question that she needed to ask him, anyway?

His chest tightened.

What if that niggling thought's assumption had been correct, after all? What if she had planned to seduce him before confessing her feelings at the end of the impromptu outing? A cold sweat bloomed across his lower back and Sasuke bit a knuckle. Why was he not horrified at the thought of Hinata _confessing_ to him?

"Sasuke!" A voice cried out as he came to from his reverie and he realized he was falling.

 _Crap...!_

Instead of the cold sting of tile floor and shocked gasps from surrounding onlookers, Sasuke was surprised to find himself only stumbling into a pair of hazelnut-scented arms. Once he regained his balance, he looked up to see Hinata's concerned eyes roving his face for signs of distress.

"Sasuke," she spoke gently, "are you okay? You looked like you were going to pass out." He pulled himself away from her and straightened up, sending a cursory glance around the area to check if anyone had seen. Luckily, most people were caught up in their own lives, too busy to pay attention to an averted crisis. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Must be low blood sugar. I'm fine."

"Well I'm all done here," Hinata held a shopping bag up with a small, triumphant smile. "Let's go to the food court and get you a juice or something." Sasuke nodded vaguely and followed her. After purchasing a soda for Hinata and sweetened iced tea for Sasuke, they sat down at the most secluded table they could fine. Hinata sipped her drink, looking around the room with a content expression. Sasuke silently chided himself for spacing out in public again.

 _I really have to watch it..._

"So!" Hinata set her cup down on the table. It made a light popping sound. She clasped her hands together and leaned forward. "It's time for my question! I..." her gaze turned timid, "I hope it doesn't come across as bothersome. Y-you don't have to say 'yes', either. I just thought... since we've been hanging out so much..."

Sasuke bit down hard on his straw. His face remained neutral, but he could almost hear his blood rushing in his ears.

Hinata reached up to tuck her hair behind an ear and looked down at the table, "Um... So... this maybe a little presumptuous of me..."

He blinked once.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to a beach party this summer!" Hinata blurted all at once. Sasuke frowned. She continued, "Usually I'll attend the star festival in the upper class districts, but seeing as I haven't had much contact with my family over the last year... I thought I'd change it up a bit and accept an invite from friends instead. I... I don't really want to go alone though. I was hoping..." Her large, pearly eyes lifted from their sheepish angle to meet his directly, "Will you come with me? To the party?"

A strange tension flooded out from his entire body and Sasuke wasn't exactly sure how to feel. He sipped his drink until the ice began to rattle. After a few agonizing—on Hinata's part—minutes, he placed his cup on the table beside hers and stared at her evenly.

"Sure."

* * *

 **Okay, from here on author notes will be at the end! Now, before I continue, regarding our beloved Itachi: I can't answer any questions until a certain chapter in the future. All I can say is trust me. I love him as much as everyone else, I promise!**

 _Guest 1: Sasuke is a special lad, and, as much as he spends time thinking about feelings and whatnot, he's totally clueless when it comes to his own haha. And goodness no, I hate the Sakura-sleeps-with-Sasuke-midstory drama trope. Blech._

 _Guest 2: He's precious, isn't he? ^^_

 _Switchlolly007: I really tried to write them in character. I hate when people make them out to be mean girl types when they're not. They may come across as a little nosy/bossy, but it's only because they are only viewing Sasuke's actions through the few details they can personally see, which isn't a lot of information._

 _Guest 3: Glad you're loving the story! Thanks for the luck :)_

 _Eimeren914: While I kept with my plan to not be outright mean to Sakura, I hope this fight was harsh enough, heh. Thanks for reading! Cute scenes ahead!_

 _JBean1: I'm happy you're in love with it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

 _Guest 4: Yeah, I did knowingly make it seem like he was sick. As I said above, however, I hope you continue to trust!_

 _Danish78: Agreed, I don't like the instant attraction trend. Sasuke would never, under any circumstances, instantly fall for someone. It's just not his nature. I'll respect others who like to explore that, but it's not for me._

 _Saki-Hime: Well, all was revealed. Thanks for reading!_

 _farahb: I'm glad you liked the Little Mermaid part! I've wanted to use that song as a joke scene for so long and felt it was perfect for these two._

 _DAngel7: Ah, you're very perceptive heh. You're catching all sorts of details. I'm sorry that Ino and Sakura come across as mean. As I said to Switchlolly007, I really tried to keep them in character. If they come across as cruel, it's only my failings at properly portraying them. Here I wanted to highlight Sakura's humanity, and I hope this chapter didn't make it seem like she was just a Hinata-hater. She has a lot of complex emotions wrapped around Sasuke and I hope I managed to convey that she's a well-rounded character made up of her earnest nature, but may be flawed with jealousy. Thanks for the crit, I hope to work on it in the future. Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The sun's heat seemed to increase exponentially as the weeks wore on. The Military History lecture hall contained heat like a greenhouse and each day Sasuke grew more and more irritable. He'd noticed that Hinata was now red-faced more often than not due to heat flushes. Somewhere along the way, he'd grown quite fond of the way the ruddy pink bloomed beneath her pale skin. It reminded him of lotus flowers, a fact he only admitted to himself when he half-awoke between sleep cycles. Those flushed cheeks were just so _Hinata_ to him. They'd grown into a sign of normalcy.

It was a hot, late-June afternoon when Hinata told him she had plans for the day and wouldn't be able to walk part of the way home with him like they'd been doing. Not one to be disappointed by such a trivial detail, Sasuke simply nodded and left the campus on his own. He breathed in the stuffy air as he walked, longing for the crisp chill of autumn though summer hadn't even truly begun.

His skin suddenly prickled; someone was watching him.

Turning just moments too late, he was met with the solid form of Naruto careening into him, nearly tackling him to the ground. Sasuke growled and Naruto laughed uproariously, slinging his arm over Sasuke's shoulders and falling into a comfortable step with him. He took a deep breath and exhaled it in a contented sigh.

"It's been forever since I've seen you on your own, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Like, several _months_... Man, you really made a lot of people worry." Naruto trailed off uncertainly, looking out across the city rather than at Sasuke directly. Sasuke quirked a skeptical brow and kept his gaze level with Naruto until the blond finally caved, " _Okay_ , okay. I meant Sakura. There, I said it." Sasuke's brow fell into place with the rest of his flat expression and he let out a mocking "peh". Naruto pulled his arm away and stopped walking. Reluctantly, Sasuke stopped as well.

"You don't have to be so cold to her, you know," Naruto's countenance grew sober. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"So I take it she told you about her little meltdown?"

"That's not what it sounded like to me," Naruto narrowed his eyes.

Sasuke met his stare with a warning glint, "And we've _always_ known Sakura to be the least manipulative person we know. Right, idiot?"

"You shouldn't talk about her like that. She was really hurt by what happened."

"And I care... why?"

Naruto stomped a foot, "Because she's as much your friend as I am! We grew up together, we've always been with each other..." his voice fell to a near-whisper, "we're family, Sasuke." Sasuke's proverbial hackles rose defensively and he shoved his hands in his pockets, angling his head away.

"Naruto... don't push it. Sakura overstepped her boundaries. I've never considered her 'family'. Stop trying to force me to have relationships I'm not interested in."

"Ugh!" Naruto ran his hands through his spiky hair, exasperated. "You don't have to _do_ anything! I'm just asking for a little _empathy_ for Sakura!"

A beat passed and Sasuke couldn't hold his smirk in, "I didn't know you even _knew_ words like that."

Seeing Sasuke's smirk, Naruto couldn't help but smile in return, "C'mon. Just hang out with a few people with me today. Somewhere _besides_ Hinata's cafe. It'll be a nice change of pace for you, ya hermit."

Sasuke breathed out an exaggerated sigh, " _Fine_. But if any of those losers try to start something, I'm leaving."

Naruto's eyes crinkled up in a grin, "All I ask is that you try, jerk."

* * *

Sasuke began to feel his innards shriveling up at the sight of the chain restaurant. It was known for being overly-crowded on most days and noisy no matter how many customers were present. He blanched at the front doors and Naruto looked back at him with a gently-encouraging expression.

"Just an hour. That's all it has to be."

Sasuke grit his teeth and followed Naruto inside to an alcove housing a massive party table, filled with familiar faces as well as some unfamiliar ones. Ino—standing nearest to the niche entrance—immediately piped up when she caught sight of them.

"Wow, it's Sasuke!" She shot him a barbed smile, "How _nice_ of you to grace us with your presence." Shikamaru, who was sitting next to her and scrolling through his phone, looked up with a vacant expression and lifted a couple fingers in a lazy wave.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke dipped his head, "Shikamaru."

"Oh, Sasuke!" Choji, eyebrows knit in distress, set his menu down. "Now I can get another opinion. Should I get a burger with an egg on top, or one with bacon?" Ino blew out a puff of air, sending her long bangs upward in a small arc. She swatted the back of Choji's head gently.

" _Choji_ , no one _cares_ what kind of burger you're getting! You're gonna have to grow up a little and make the decision yourself!" They slipped into a casual, not-altogether serious dispute.

Naruto caught Sasuke's eye again and murmured, "See? Not so bad, right?"

Ironically, it was at that moment that the reverberating whine of chair legs scraping the floor echoed throughout the table's alcove. The surrounding chatter quieted down and everyone went very still, revealing that the person who'd so loudly stood up was, in fact, Sakura. She made tearful eye contact with Sasuke across the room before winding her way around the other side of the table and stalking away towards the front of the restaurant. Ino ceased her bickering with Choji to run after Sakura and the table returned to conversation. Sasuke glared at Naruto, who only shrugged and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Resigned, Sasuke slumped into the empty seat next to Shikamaru and hoped the hour passed quickly.

"She's just worried about you, you know."

Sasuke glanced at Shikamaru, bewildered.

Shikamaru's irises languidly dragged over to meet Sasuke's, "Sakura. She's worried about you."

"So I've been told," Sasuke hissed testily. Shikamaru sighed. They sat in relative silence as several minutes passed before Sasuke finally slumped forward, resting his head in his hands. "It's not really any of her business. I don't even know _why_ everyone keeps saying they're 'worried' about me."

"It's natural to feel a little jealous when someone you've considered a friend suddenly disappears. Then you find out they've just been seeing other people." Shikamaru leaned back in his chair and rested his feet on the table. He chewed a toothpick thoughtfully, "Sakura's only human. She's had a crush on you for most of her life and now you've started hanging out with another girl out of the blue." He glanced sidelong at Sasuke, "Give her a chance to adjust. She's allowed to have her feelings."

Sasuke glowered, "Am I not allowed to have mine?"

"You are," Shikamaru took the toothpick out of his mouth and rolled it between his fingers, "but try to have a little sympathy, okay? It'll do you good in the long run with Hinata."

Sasuke's stomach quivered and he suddenly felt like cat in a wide-open space, "We're not dating." If he had been paying closer attention, he might have caught the quick smirk that slipped over Shikamaru's face.

"Yeah, well..." Shikamaru trailed off with a shrug. "It'll do you good in any relationship, then."

A waitress inevitably showed up at the alcove and started taking orders. All present gathered closer around the table, talking over each other and laughing comfortably. Despite himself, a strange warmth unfurled in Sasuke's chest. Beneath all the noise and social discomfort, these people had known each other for years and, consequently, put off a pleasant, familial vibe. Naruto caught Sasuke's eyes from farther down the table and he grinned broadly. Sasuke nodded in reply.

When the meal was almost done, he turned to Shikamaru once more, "So where'd you gather all that nuance from, anyway? With Sakura, I mean."

Shikamaru shrugged, "I've been in a relationship for five years. It just becomes second nature to pick up on the little things after a while."

Sasuke nodded and the afternoon wore on.

* * *

When Sasuke made his way home that evening, he was planning to mull over some of the things he'd been told that day. The last thing he was expecting was to be greeted at the door by the very raucous, very _crowded_ sight which was currently huddled around the dining space table.

"Well, if it isn't little Sasuke," a gravelly, amused voice said loudly. "He's certainly grown into a much taller fellow." Sasuke blinked hard at what he hoped was a mirage before him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again.

A red-faced, glassy-eyed Itachi nodded solemnly, "Well, Kishame, that's usually what happens to kids. They grow up." He lifted a hand of cards and narrowed his dark eyes at them, "I can't for the life of me shee which suit these belong to."

A blond man with very long hair and large blue eyes who was sitting on Itachi's left grinned smugly, "Maybe you should uh, lean this way, closer to the lamp, hm? Might see better." His cheeks were also deeply flushed. A shorter man with red hair sitting at the table growled loudly.

"Stop trying to cheat, Deidara."

The blond, Deidara, stuck his lower lip out, "I'm _not_! I'm trying to help Itachi, hm."

The red-head sent him a feral glare, "Of _course_ you are."

"Deidara," a dark-haired man wearing a beanie pulled down like an awning over his eyes murmured flatly. "If you cheat, I'll make sure you end up at the coroner's office."

Deidara shivered, "Okay, okay. Kakuzu, you shouldn't make threats like that in a friendly game." He slapped the red-head on the shoulder, "Besides... My man Sasori here won't let anything like that happen. Eh, Sasori?" Sasori grumbled under his breath and slapped a card down in the center of the table.

"Just shut up and play, ugh," a man sitting between Kakuzu and Kisame with slicked-back, silvery lavender hair rumbled fiercely. "We've been going over the same move for almost an hour. Whose turn is it, anyway?"

Kisame picked up a bottle and took a swig, "Sasori just went. It's Kakuzu's turn."

Sasuke spluttered, "What is going _on_ here?!"

Itachi stopped poring over his cards so intensely and smiled happily, "We're jusht having a friendly get-together, Shashuke. You're welcome to join ush."

"Is the brat even old enough to drink?" Kisame's lips curled open in a disconcerting, toothy smile. Sasuke resisted the urge to swallow at the sight of the massive man's wild, beady eyes and suspiciously sharp teeth.

"Kishame," Itachi swiveled in his seat and held up is hands, wiggling his fingers. "It's really quite shimple, this level of math."

"Itachi," Kisame chuckled, "you're drunk."

Itachi narrowed his eyes and leaned to the side, "Beside the point. Listen." He started counting on his fingers, "If I'm five yearsh older than Shashuke..."

" _Ugh_!" Sasuke pressed his hands over his face, overwhelmed by the situation. "I can't handle this right now!" He stormed past the dining area into the hall, making his way to his room. He tried to block out the loud voices filtering after him. He shoved his bedroom door closed behind him and flopped down onto his bed, socially exhausted for the day. With one arm thrown across his eyes to shield out the dim lamp light, Sasuke took several deep breaths.

Warily, he allowed his mind to turn towards thoughts of Sakura. Somewhere deep inside, he _knew_ she wasn't a bad person. She wasn't lying when she had said they'd known each other for years. Closely, even. She'd shared many classes with Naruto and him growing up and they'd frequently been placed together for group projects. However, Sasuke had never felt like he truly _clicked_ with her. She was too... vanilla. While her loyalty was to be commended, he'd always felt like she was more in love with the _idea_ of him rather than _him,_ himself.

A small part of him felt guilty for his insensitive treatment of her, though it was best to be firm when it came to Sakura. She sometimes fell into clingy habits too easily and he was loathe to encourage her affections for him.

Maybe he'd apologize someday, when he felt secure enough to do so.

With slightly more ease, his thoughts turned to Hinata. He wondered if she was getting a little more brave after being around Naruto more frequently due to their walks home. Would she be strong enough to confess soon? He frowned; had she even said that she planned on it? Was she just going to hope that one day Naruto would wake up and realize he was in love with her?

 _Fat chance_...

He briefly considered just up and telling Naruto in order to get it over with, but then he remembered that he had promised not to back when they first met. Still, if it sped things along for Hinata...

Sasuke sat up. His stomach had clenched at that thought. Why was that?

The bedroom door creaked open and Itachi peered in, "Shashuke... Is something... the matter?"

Eyeing his older brother's inebriated state, Sasuke shook his head, "No. I'm fine." Itachi nodded and slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"You seemed upset when you... came in..." Itachi slowly walked over, sinking down on the edge of Sasuke's bed and teetering back and forth for several moments. Sasuke waved a hand in the direction of the living room.

"I just don't like those guys. They're just so... _creepy_ somehow."

Itachi chortled quietly and his eyes cleared as he sobered up a bit. "Yeah, but they're good people. I wouldn't still be friends with them if that 'creepiness' determined whether or not they were valuable humans who made decisions I agreed with." He leaned back on his palms, allowing his body to drape between his arms. "I'm sure you have at least one person in your life like that. Someone who, by all logic, you shouldn't be close to. From the outside, there's no evidence that forces it to make sense. Yet, somehow, you _are_ close with that person... and you feel like you're better for it because of them."

Sasuke didn't say anything, only drinking in Itachi's words and storing them away for later pondering. How much later? Well, that wasn't something he was willing to address immediately. He'd stopped thinking so deeply about his own feelings long ago... when his parents passed away. It was just easier to go through life if you never stopped to think about how it made you feel.

A tiny voice at the back of his head murmured that that wouldn't work forever, but, like with most anxious thoughts, Sasuke shoved it aside.

Itachi stood up and stretched a bit, "Well, it's still too early to sleep in my opinion. I'm going back out there." He glanced over his shoulder at Sasuke, "Do you need us to keep it down?"

"No," Sasuke said. "I'm going to be up for a while, still. I've... got a lot on my mind."

Itachi dipped his head and left the room, leaving Sasuke to drift on the winds of deep contemplation.

* * *

Time continued to tick by, drawing out hot, humid days and stormy, lightning-riddled nights. Sasuke continued tutoring Hinata. He spent more time pondering whether or not there were still rumors about their relationship at school, though he could never bring himself to decide how he felt about that. He was content to keep his and Hinata's relationship where it was. All that mattered was that he was truly enjoying their time together. He didn't need a label for it.

Before he knew it, summer vacation arrived.

* * *

 **I decided to take your guys' input to heart and wrote an aside chapter where we get some more exposition on Sakura's feelings and the like. I know it's a bit short, but that's only because I'm certain next chapter is going to be longer than usual. I have a warning for next chapter too, which my tumblr audience has already seen: don't get complacent with the fluff. Don't be too scared! I promise in the end all will be resolved!**

 _Guest 1: I'm glad you stumbled in too! Always good to see people enjoying the content. Hope you continue to read and like!_

 _Guest 2: As I said before, I abhor the Sasuke-sleeps-with-Sakura-for-cheap-drama trope. Will avoid it at all costs forever and ever, haha! The obligatory beach episode is coming and boy is Sasuke in for a shock when he sees Hinata's swimsuit, hehehe *rubs hands together*_

 _Guest 3: I realized after your review that I had worded Hinata's statement about the invite poorly and went back to fix it. Alas, we will not be seeing much of Hinata's family until later chapters. But yes, Hinata is most definitely going to make Sasuke work for it, heh._

 _Eimeren914: I'm probably not going to do a POV from Hinata's side, unfortunately, as this is a Sasuke-centric fic and I feel like it might disrupt the flow. However, I do have plans for another story that includes Hinata's perspective, so we'll see where that goes._

 _anon: Ahaha... well, this is embarrassing, but it's an innuendo. Bananas are seen as phallic objects and are frequently played for laughs in media. A pretty girl eating a banana in front of a guy who likes her? Usually gets said guy a little embarrassed. Here, Sasuke wasn't embarrassed because he likes Hinata but because he knew Itachi had intended for him to be shamed by such an act._

 _Guest 4: I know, right! They're just so cute together 3_

 _Guest 5: Yeah, they've written their silly reviews a couple times. Didn't want to give them the satisfaction of acknowledgement. It doesn't really bother me, but I get very concerned for younger writers who may be more sensitive to such a thing. **This goes for anyone reading this: if you are bothered and feeling very down about those troll reviews telling you to kill yourself, please feel free to PM me. I'm always available and willing to talk.** While I can't say thank you in complete honesty, as doxxing is such a gray area, I can say thank you for letting the trolls know that there are consequences to their actions. It's very foolish to believe that there is complete anonymity on the internet, and I can only hope that they stop doing what they are doing before something worse befalls them._

 _JBean1: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!_

 _lulu: Uwa, this was such a wonderful review to receive! Thank you for being specific about what you liked. It's a rare honor to read a review like that._

 _Danish78: I'm glad the confrontation went over well. I agree, I don't hate Sakura, I just don't like her when she's around Sasuke. She's a strong character and deserved someone who was really going to cherish her and I just don't feel like Sasuke was ever going to be that for her. Thanks for the compliment! Hope you enjoy!_

 _Switchlolly007: Yeah, they are pretty funny in the anime :) I always try to keep people close to their canon personalities. Feel free to let me know if stuff seems OOC in the future!_

 _tastetherainbow17: I appreciate your devoted follow!_

 _Guest 6: Ahh, your review had me smiling like crazy! I'm so happy you're liking my story, and that you were willing to talk so much about why. It really, really means a lot to me. I also laughed out loud at your postscript. Thank you so, so much._

 _Saki-Hime: All I can say is... she will before the end of the story, but I can tell when ^^_

 _Guest 7: Thank you!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Sasuke tucked his phone between his shoulder and cheek as he finished packing up his duffel bag. He couldn't help but notice the tremor in Hinata's voice, as though she was more anxious than normal. Before he could stop himself, he asked why she seemed so nervous.

"I... I just don't want to be here alone..."

He frowned, "Hinata, they're _your_ friends." He heard a rustling sound on the other end of the line and her voice grew uneven.

"Yeah, I know but..." it fell to a whisper, "I'm just not used to this kind of thing. Normally I'd be home right now... I hardly ever do big things like holiday parties with friends."

Sasuke pulled his bag over his shoulder and left his room, "What changed now?"

Hinata was silent for a few moments before speaking again, "I... I feel like... spending so much time with you made me want to try _more_ new things..." Sasuke stopped in the middle of the hall, stunned by the solemnity in Hinata's voice. She continued, "Sometimes... I look back on my life and I feel like I've spent most of it just... floating... existing. Like I was waiting for someone or something else to reach in and change everything for me. Nothing stands out to me aside from meeting Naruto and a handful of moments with friends. Everything has been a haze all this time... but... since meeting you... I feel like that fogginess is clearing. There's more color and vibrancy... I feel everything with so much more clarity these days, it seems like."

Sasuke didn't realize he was holding his breath.

Hinata breathed out quickly, "I'm sorry—I started rambling about myself."

"Don't apologize," Sasuke said. "You still apologize too much. You _don't_ bother me, Hinata."

She chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry for saying sorry. Will I see you soon?"

Sasuke felt his breath rush back into his lungs, "Yeah. I'm leaving right now." They said their goodbyes and Sasuke dropped his phone into his pocket. Before he made it out the front door, though, Itachi spoke up from the living room.

"Where are you going, little brother?"

Sasuke stopped in the doorway, surprised at the unfamiliar gravel in Itachi's voice. Itachi noticed his curious stare and waved a hand.

"I was half-asleep."

Sasuke nodded in wary acceptance, "I'm hanging out with Hinata and her friends today. She said she didn't want to be alone."

Itachi blinked, "Ah, right. You had said that you would be spending time with her during the holiday."

Sasuke frowned, "Was that all?"

"Have a good time," Itachi's eyes suddenly grew intense, "and should you _realize_ anything while you're there, be sure to act on it _before_ you overthink it."

"Um. Okay..." Sasuke finished slipping his shoes on and waved over his shoulder. "Seeya later, Itachi."

"See you."

* * *

"Sasuke, I didn't know you were coming today!"

Sasuke froze, nearly dropping his bag in the sand. It couldn't be... He had been under the impression that he was going to be spending time with Hinata and _her_ friends... so why was _Naruto_ here? Naruto stood before him, already dressed in bright-orange swim trunks, sporting wet hair and a bright grin. Sasuke grit his teeth, speechless.

Naruto's smile fell slightly, "Is something wrong?"

"Where's Hinata?" Sasuke looked around with a faint trace of hope. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Wow, nice. Hello to you, too. 'How's it going, Naruto?' Oh, I'm fine, Sasuke, thanks for asking." Sasuke glared in response. Naruto shrugged and pointed towards the water, "She's on her way over, jerk." Sasuke raised a hand to shield his eyes from the bright sun just as Hinata came into view.

His heart lurched.

Hinata jogged over the sand, wearing what he assumed was the swimsuit she'd purchased at the mall with him. It was a pale lavender one-piece with subtle, gossamer ruffles on the hips. It brought out the purple tones in her eyes and contrasted starkly with her hair. Her cheeks were flushed with contentment and she was smiling broadly.

She looked... pretty.

When she finally reached them, she panted—leaning her palms against her knees—before looking up at him happily, "You made it. I'm so glad!"

"Uh," Sasuke was having trouble finding his voice. "Y-yeah..." He was aware that Naruto was peering at him and grinning wickedly. He did his best to ignore it. Hinata straightened up and her expression turned confused.

"Aren't you going to swim?"

Sasuke looked down at his outfit. He was wearing canvas shorts, a t-shirt and a thin sweatshirt. Pulling his ruffled emotions together, he shrugged, "I didn't really plan on it. Was just going to hang out." Hinata's face crumpled into a pout and she loosely grabbed his arm.

"Please?" She stared up at him with wide, shimmering eyes and a pushed-out lower lip. Sasuke felt another stutter in his chest and looked away.

"Maybe later."

She widened her eyes impossibly further and forced her lower lip to tremble. Sasuke's eyes softened and he rolled his shoulders. "Maybe later," he repeated in a mock-exasperated voice. Hinata smiled brightly and bounded away, beckoning for Sasuke to follow her. He blinked a few times before adjusting the strap of his bag and proceeded to do as asked.

"Wow!" Naruto breathed out. "It's like nobody else even exists when she's around you!" Sasuke bit his lower lip.

 _Crap..._ He paused and waited for Naruto to walk with him. Naruto chuckled and placed his hands behind his head in his usual fashion.

"So when did you decide to come to this?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Hinata invited me a couple weeks ago... but she said it was going to be with her friends."

"Well, you know, Sasuke... Her friends are kind of friends with your friends." Naruto waggled his brows teasingly. "Congratulations, you win the title for Least Observant Dude in Konoha!" He gestured ahead of them where a massive encampment had formed on the beach. Sakura and Ino were sitting under a large umbrella with a magazine, Kiba and Choji were busy setting up a volleyball net while a white dog ran around them, Shino was under his own umbrella wearing the largest swimsuit cover-up Sasuke had ever seen, and Shikamaru was half-asleep on a massive inner-tube mere inches from the ocean's waves.

"Hn..." Sasuke murmured.

"Anyway," Naruto swatted his arm, "go get changed and throw your stuff down." He leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm planning a huge game of 'chicken' later, so you better be in top form, Sasuke." He smacked Sasuke's arm once more before skipping away, whooping loudly. He moved up behind Shikamaru and shoved the inner-tube into the water, causing Shikamaru to come spluttering awake and begin raging.

Sasuke had no intention of swimming. He'd only agreed to it because Hinata using a highly out-of-character puppy face on him had been... forceful, to say the least. He made his way to Shino's umbrella and waved a hand at him tentatively. Shino looked up from behind his sunglasses and nodded shallowly. Sasuke admired his silent communication skills and unfurled a beach towel under the umbrella beside him. He plopped down and prepared to enjoy a long, most likely boring day. Hinata suddenly popped up again and leaned over him, her long hair draping down off her shoulder to curtain in front of his face. He looked up.

" _What_?"

"Thank you for coming," she said pleasantly. "I got you this as a reward!" She handed him a _kakigori_ cup. "I know you don't like sweets very much, so I asked them if I could substitute the the condensed milk for plain lemon juice and keep the toppings down to just _mochi_ and _sanshoku-kanten_." Sasuke took the cup gravely and stared at it. He normally hated anything remotely related to sweets, but with the plain lemon juice... it might be okay.

"Thanks," he said. Hinata sat down beside him and handed him a spoon as well. She watched as he took a cautious bite. Her eyes glittered when he graced her with a small smile. "It's not bad."

"Oh, good! I was afraid you wouldn't like it."

He smirked, "I'd be more worried about _you_ not liking it."

"What? No way!" Before he could respond, Hinata lurched forward and latched her mouth around the spoonful he'd just scooped up. Sasuke's reply died on his tongue. She pulled away and screwed up her face. "Ugh, you're right. It's so _sour_." Sasuke's mouth opened and closed.

 _She just_... _my spoon..._ He shook his head minutely.

"Sasuke? Are you okay? I thought you'd be teasing me already... about not trusting your judgment or something."

"Hinata," Shino murmured. "It's rude to eat off another person's spoon without asking." Hinata processed what he was implying and immediately flushed.

"O-oh... I'm sorry, Sasuke. I-I just got over-excited..."

Sasuke swallowed thickly, attempting to calm his nerves, "No problem."

"I-I," Hinata floundered and looked around, "I'm going to go help Kiba!" She launched herself up and sprinted away. Sasuke watched her leave as the fluttering in his chest stilled. He returned to eating the _kakigori_ , but he couldn't help but feel like it tasted sweeter than before.

He didn't mind.

* * *

Having managed to escape being forced to swim for several hours, Sasuke found his eyes drooping from boredom. Shino had long gone, being drawn into a volleyball game by Kiba, and Hinata was with Ino, pushing Shikamaru's inner-tube around in the shallows with him still in it. After several minutes, he lost the battle of rubbing the sleep from his eyes and settled down on his towel.

Hinata found him like that an hour later, when she took a break from swimming and the sun was just beginning to set. He was curled up on his side, hair mostly obscuring his peaceful face. She stopped a few feet away and wrung her hair out so it wouldn't drip on his towel. After making sure she was as dry as possible, she knelt down beside him and observed his sleeping form. His hands were clenched in tight fists, but the rest of him looked more languid than she'd ever seen him. He breathed evenly, chest pushing out and sinking back in a comfortable rhythm. Unable to resist curiosity, she reached over and pushed his hair away from his face. His eyelashes were dark crescents against his cheeks, accenting the sunken, shaded areas under his eyes. Briefly, she wondered why he always seemed so tired.

Sasuke's consciousness stirred. He could tell there was a presence nearby. Where was he, anyway? There was a lot of bright sun. Was he on the back porch at home? His eyes opened the faintest sliver and he peered out.

A dark cascade of hair.

A gentle, pale hand running over his hair before moving back slightly

A warm, safe feeling flooded his chest and leaned into the figure's touch.

"...Mom..."

The hand on his head stilled, "S... Sasuke?" His eyes shot open and he sat up. Hinata leaned back so he wouldn't bump into her, hand still raised from touching his hair. Feeling his mouth go dry, Sasuke rushed to explain, but faltered when he had nothing to say.

"I... I..."

Hinata's wide eyes and pink cheeks didn't help his thought process any. With the gold light from the sun illuminating the bluish-purple tones in her hair and having it slick against her pale face... she looked like a morning glory.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out.

"It's... It's okay," she replied. Her eyes wrinkled up in a pleased grin, "It was... kind of cute." Sasuke felt his throat tighten and his nerves fray around the edges and—for the first time in his life—he _blushed_. It was just too embarrassing; there didn't seem to be another response. Hinata's head tilted to the side as she studied him. "You know, your face looks kind of red. You put sunscreen on before coming, right?" He let out a strangled sort of 'yes'. She smiled again, "Okay. Well, you promised me you'd swim, so you have to come out now." She stood up, grabbing his hand along the way to pull him to his feet. He teetered for a moment and she bounced away a few feet, turning on her heel to beckon for him to come along. Then, a strange thing happened. Sasuke went motionless and a massive wash of emotions bubbled up in him like a wellspring. He stared at Hinata in awe.

In that moment, the setting sun lit the ocean ablaze behind her, forming a luminescent halo in her hair. She swayed side to side, smiling at him with the inner glow that had always seemed to bloom from within her. A gentle, sweeping breeze picked up, rustling Sasuke's hair against his cheeks and forehead. It all suddenly made sense: every strange feeling he'd experienced since meeting her, every moment where he was unsure of himself, every rumor that was spread around them. It was like the pieces of a puzzle sliding into place and revealing the complex picture beneath.

Sasuke was in love with Hinata.

"Sasuke?" Her gentle smile shifted questioningly, sending sparks through his raw heart. "You're going to keep your promise, right?"

 _Yes. Of course. Anything you want. Just don't look at anyone else like that. Don't show anyone else that smile... those eyes. Please. Please... feel the same way..._ Sasuke licked his lips. The overwhelming river of feelings that had burst inside him threatened to drown him. He was shocked at the thoughts that felt like they were going to explode past his lips any second. He clapped a hand over his mouth and stepped back.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?"

"I," he looked around frantically. He attempted to quell the flood in his mind and keep his voice from trembling. "I'm going to go change. I'll be right behind you. I promise." He grabbed his duffel bag and headed for the bathrooms further up the beach, leaving a baffled Hinata behind him. It didn't matter as long as he could get away before he said something foolish and wholly not _him_. When he reached the bathroom, he slouched against the wall, sinking into a shaking crouch.

 _What... happened?_

He ran a hand through his hair and gulped in uneven breaths. He couldn't tell if he felt happy or sad, exhilarated or horrified. Too many emotions were swirling around in his heart and head for him to follow. He'd never been adept at understanding his own feelings and had long grown into a habit of pushing them down. He never thought they'd resurface again, especially not like _this_.

What was he going to do?

Love? Loving someone else? What did that even _entail_?

He stood up and laced his hands behind his head as if it would keep his head from erupting. He'd try to think about it objectively. What did he want out of his relationship with Hinata? He drew a hand down over his mouth, considering.

He... he wanted... he wanted them to stay as they were... but he wanted her to know. He wanted her to know that he was having these feelings and... he wanted her to feel the same.

 _But... she loves Naruto_...

Maybe she... didn't, though. She'd been acting strange the whole day, first with her confession on the phone and then her subsequent affectionate behavior since he'd arrived at the beach. She'd also called him cute. Objectively... objectively...

There was a chance.

"... _and should you realize anything while you're there, be sure to act on it before you overthink it."_

For once, he'd listen to Itachi's advice. The urgent, tugging feeling deep inside him demanded that he _do_ something rather than just think about it. With that in mind, he quickly changed into his swim trunks and a black tank top and quieted the new voice that clamored at the back of his mind.

All he could do was hope for the best.

* * *

The afternoon passed with a tense energy settled over it. Naruto's game of 'chicken' had nearly been disastrous, as he kept insisting Sakura be his partner. Seeing Hinata perched on Sasuke's shoulders didn't encourage Sakura to go along with Naruto's begging. She had glared venomously at the dark-haired pair and claimed she was getting a headache before stalking away up into the shopping district of the small resort town. Luckily, Ino had volunteered to fill her spot, not wanting the party to be ruined. She shot Sasuke a sharp look before clambering up onto Naruto's shoulders. After some playful banter, everyone loosened up enough to enjoy the battle.

Ino and Naruto won. Sasuke refused to admit it was because he got distracted by how cute it was that Hinata was acting like winning was a matter of life and death. He chalked it up to hitting a rock with his foot and losing his grip. After the game, the whole group retreated to the towels for dinner. Sakura returned but pointedly avoided speaking to Sasuke. As the group ate and talked, the first stars began twinkling in the darkening sky. Kiba mentioned a fireworks shop that was back in town and suggested getting a few to shoot off with the official show later that night. Sakura, Shino and Shikamaru agreed to go buy some with him while Naruto, Choji and Ino decided to splash around in the water with Kiba's dog, which left Sasuke and Hinata alone.

The breeze from earlier had grown a bit stronger. Sasuke noticed Hinata drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"Are you cold?"

She did her best to smile reassuringly at him, "No, I'm fine." He gave her a withering look, then reached into his bag and pulled out his sweatshirt. He knelt beside her and started to wrap her in it. "Sasuke, I said I was fine! You don't have to do this..." He paused his adjusting of the fabric to look her in the eye.

"I want to."

Blushing at his smoldering gaze, she stammered, "O-okay..." He finished tucking her in and carefully pulled her hair out from under it. She watched him with an unreadable expression. He noticed that her eyes were so clear that they were reflecting some of the brighter stars in the sky. He settled back down next to her, subtly brushing his arm against hers. They looked up at the sky together. Simultaneously, they breathed in the cool, sea air. Kiba and the others returned, scrambling to set up the fireworks as he shouted about "running out of time".

"Sasuke?" Hinata's voice was quiet.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming out here today; I really mean it."

"I'd already said I would."

"Yeah, but anyone can _say_ they're going to do something and then totally bail when the time comes," Hinata reached to the side, swirling spirals in the sand. "You actually showed up... I don't know how I would've managed without you." Sasuke leaned back on his palms and smirked at her, though she couldn't see it due to her focus on her doodling.

"I feel like we've had this conversation before. _Today_ , even."

Hinata chuckled, "Yeah, well, that just shows how grateful I am to you."

"Hm..."

They trailed off into companionable silence. Kiba's dog, Akamaru barked as Kiba set off a mortar. It roared into the sky and burst in a reverberating explosion, blooming in a red and gold combination of sparks. This seemed to set off a chain reaction down the beach as other people on vacation began lighting their fireworks as well.

Sasuke's heart throbbed once.

"You're 'grateful' to me?"

Hinata, who'd started watching the fireworks with a gentle smile, hummed distractedly, "Hmm?"

"Is that all you feel?" Sasuke was starting to understand what it felt like to have butterflies in one's stomach. He leaned closer to Hinata, watching the various-colored fireworks reflected in her eyes. Hinata's expression began to shift as his question registered slowly.

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"Hinata."

She finally turned to look at him. His face was mere inches from her own and her breath caught. Sasuke captured her gaze with his own, hoping to convey some of what he was feeling, albeit silently. A restrained whisper slipped from her.

"...y-yes?"

Under the light of the fireworks, Sasuke leaned closer, angling his head to the side. He could feel her breath fanning against his face; he could smell the sugary tartness of the lemonade she'd had earlier. He raised his hand to hover just to the side of her head, fingertips brushing against her silky hair. Her pearly eyes were wide and expressionless.

Just as their lips were about to meet, she turned away and sputtered quietly, "N... Naruto."

The rejection was like a sliver of ice sliding down the back of his shirt and Sasuke pulled away. It stung more than he'd thought it might. Hinata turned away from him, cheeks red and eyes somber. Sasuke sat up straight and breathed in.

"I see." Quietly, he gathered his belongings into his duffel bag and pulled it over his shoulder. Hinata looked up at him with a worried expression.

"Sasuke?"

"I remembered... I had plans for tonight. I'll see you another time." Before she could answer, he bit his tongue and walked away.

* * *

 **Poor little Sasuke! Alas, I'm way too tired to answer reviews this time. Stayed up extra late to post this! Just know that I read them all and I'm so thankful for everyone's words! I truly cherish every review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next week!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sasuke's drive home passed in a haze. An uncomfortable tangle of emotions and writhing thoughts brewed in the entirety of his being. It felt as though his mind was rushing and his body was moving through wet cement. Before he realized it, he was sitting in the apartment's parking lot.

His grip on the steering wheel shifted from lax to white-knuckled and back again. Heart chugging painfully in his chest, Sasuke attempted to still the ragged breaths that felt like they were threatening to rip him apart. Why had this tiny rejection grown to such a large effect? How could this one, insignificant...

...enormous...

...relationship-destroying mishap...

How could it have made him feel this way?

Eager to brush aside his feelings as he'd grown accustomed to, Sasuke bolted from the car, slamming the door behind him as if it could lock away the pain he was experiencing. Maybe... maybe if he made it to the flat in time... maybe if he made it to his _room_ in time... it would all disappear. All this rawness would shrivel up and status quo would return.

The lobby blinked by, followed by an elevator ride that seemed to crush in on him from all sides. Sasuke was desperately trying to quell the trembles that wracked his chest and arms. Kicking his shoes off in the entry, he shoved open the front door and stepped inside, leaning against it as he closed it behind him. He inhaled... exhaled. Inhaled... exhaled... Like a spell to cast aside the torture of rejection, he breathed deeply. His shaking ceased. His racing thoughts slowed. He chewed his lip; was he free?

From the dim living room, Itachi stirred. Sasuke's eyes darted over to his older brother—it looked like Itachi had been reading files from work. The elder Uchiha walked towards him cautiously.

"Sasuke? Why are you breathing so hard? Are you all right?"

 _No... if you ask that... I can't hide it..._

"Sasuke, you're shaking." Itachi moved closer, raising his arms in a soothing gesture. "Did something happen?" The racing thoughts were back. Sasuke noted the fear blooming in Itachi's eyes. That sticky concern... that meddling worry that Itachi had always exhibited towards him... It just made everything so much more fragile.

A fine thread connecting Sasuke to his cool demeanor, a thread so thin and brittle like glass.

Those dark eyes of his big brother, his guardian, his parent for all intents and purposes.

He couldn't hold up against it.

Choking back a wet sob, Sasuke crumpled. "She... she doesn't love me back." The spell, so carefully crafted only moments before, had broken. Sasuke slipped down the door, feeling for all the world as if his very form was disintegrating before him. He collapsed in on himself, drawing his knees up and hiding his face in them as sobs forced their way out. He wrapped his arms around his knees, tucking himself into a ball.

Itachi's arms fell back to his sides in shock. He hadn't seen Sasuke fall apart in many years... and he was at a loss. He pieced together the sequence of events from Sasuke's vague reply. So, Hinata had rejected him... when he was making such progress, too! Still, the sight of his baby brother—although Sasuke was an adult now—brought back memories that had been dulled by the wear of years passing. He remembered a tiny baby, crying in the room next to his. He remembered cradling that baby in his arms, rocking him side to side and humming it to sleep in that pleasing, quiet voice of his.

Instinct took over and Itachi knelt on the floor. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and pulling him against his chest.

"Little brother," he whispered, "I'm so sorry it happened this way."

If anything, the reassurance increased the agony in Sasuke's cries, but Itachi knew that time would pass and the wounds would heal.

* * *

"You know I'm not holding it against you because of current circumstances, but I really do insist that you get out of bed at least _once_ for the rest of your holiday."

Sasuke looked up from the lumpy pile of blankets in front of him to see Itachi leaning on the door jamb, wielding a spatula like a chiding mother. Itachi blinked once, shifting his head to the side. He raised a critical eyebrow. Sasuke let his head fall back into his bedding.

"I fully plan on it, Itachi, I just... want to finish this book."

"You've already finished that book."

"How would you know?"

Itachi sighed. "You act surprised to discover that—despite me being in the deep pits of work nigh _constantly_ —I know what's going on with your studies." He pushed off from the doorway and disappeared down the hall. "Finish your book or no, but if you don't get out of the house today I'm going to call Naruto."

"Ugh," Sasuke growled. " _Don't_."

"Then get out of bed."

Sasuke dragged himself from the soft fortress of his bed and gathered some clean clothes. He knew that Itachi planned to make good on his threat and if he would be forced to interact with Naruto anyway, he preferred it to be on _his_ terms. After showering and dressing, he popped by the kitchen to grab a piece of dry toast from Itachi's breakfast heap and rushed out, ignoring Itachi's pestering queries.

If he wanted to pull himself together again, he'd just have to jump back into the deep end.

On the elevator ride down, he pulled out his phone and texted Naruto.

 _"Where are you?"_

Moments later, his phone beeped. _"at shikamarus right now. why?"_

 _"Need to talk. Can you meet me somewhere else?"_

 _"ne, this doesnt sound like you. you ok?"_

 _"Can you or not?"_

 _"just meet me here, jerk! heres the address."_

Reluctantly, Sasuke followed the directions to the Nara compound, closer to the old district. It was a massive complex that receded deep into the woods on the outskirts of Konoha. Sasuke lingered around the entrance uncomfortably for a few minutes before a maid came by and directed him to another wing of the house. When he arrived there, he was greeted by the sight of Naruto and Shikamaru lounging on cushions on the porch. A bowl of cherries sat between them. Naruto sat up when he heard Sasuke's footsteps and immediately wrinkled his nose.

"Hey, jerk, why'd you disappear like that at the party? You left Hinata there all alone! She looked really sad after you were gone."

Sasuke blinked and gazed at Naruto icily. "I'm sure she was fine. I had prior obligations."

"Man, you're really slipping! Scheduling two things for one day!" Naruto spat a cherry seed into the yard. "Anyway, why are you here? Not spending time with Hinata?" At the mention of her name twice in so short a time, Sasuke went still. Shikamaru, who had been watching the situation unfold through one open eye, sat up as well.

"Shut up, Naruto." He turned to Sasuke, "You look like hell. What happened? I saw you guys on the towels that night and you seemed pretty happy... Next thing I know, you were gone and Hinata was trailing Shino around for the rest of the night."

Expression shifting uneasily, Sasuke sank down onto the floor. He gazed out into the yard and exhaled deeply. "I didn't come here to talk about Hinata. I just... I wanted to..." He stiffened, raking fingers through his hair haphazardly. "To be honest, Itachi was pushing me to get out of the house. Guess he wants to spend time with his college buddies or something."

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged a confused look before shrugging. Naruto stuffed his face with more cherries and Shikamaru leaned forward, lacing his fingers together, contemplating.

"That's fine, Sasuke. You know, you're always welcome here. My family's place tends to have a uh... a relaxing effect. It's a getaway for several of the gang."

Sasuke scoffed, "'Gang'?"

Shikamaru's expression didn't change. "Yes, 'gang'. As I was saying, just text me whenever you need a change of scenery."

"Hn."

The conversation ebbed away, leaving behind a tense silence. Naruto kept stuffing cherries into his mouth and Shikamaru relaxed his posture and leaned back on his arms, staring at the sky. The heat of summer was already beginning to wane in preparation for autumn's return. After a time, Naruto's frenetic energy quieted into a content buzz and the atmosphere shifted into a pleasant silence.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said suddenly.

Naruto jolted. "For what?"

"I... For ignoring your advice. I know that you're trying to look out of my best interests and I throw that back in your face a lot. So, I'm sorry."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. Shikamaru continued watching the clouds, betraying no sign of interjecting. Naruto swallowed thickly and looked back at Sasuke. He whispered, "Are... are you Sasuke?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Stop asking me that. Who else would I be?"

"I don't know! Maybe your brother got tired of you being an insufferable douche and tainting the company name! Maybe he put you in some kind of stasis and hired a really, _really_ good scientist to make a robot double of you!" Naruto jumped forward onto his knees and jabbed a finger into Sasuke's chest. "Maybe you've been a double all along!"

Sasuke stared at him flatly before slapping his hand away. "Idiot. If my brother commissioned a double of me, do you think he'd waste its resources having it talk to _you_? You've been watching too many movies."

"Yeah, well," Naruto sniffed, pretending to be offended. "Maybe you just don't watch _enough_."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke scoffed once more. "It's a miracle that you've lasted through college this long."

"I'm very lucky," Naruto beamed. "I have a lot of _connections_ , know what I'm saying?"

"Not sure I want to," Sasuke replied fiercely.

"Bah," Naruto pouted. "You're just mad because I have more friends than you." Sasuke hummed softly and reached for the bowl of cherries. Naruto jolted again. "Hey, I thought you hated anything sweet!"

"Then feed me something else, idiot."

"It's not my house!" Naruto looked around frantically, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ne, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru opened his eyes sleepily. " _What_ , Naruto?"

"Do you have anything besides cherries?"

"Call a maid; how should I know what the kitchens have stocked?"

"But there isn't anyone around!"

"Then go find one."

"Gah, you guys are too much alike!" Naruto shouted. He relented though, jumping up and disappearing into the winding halls of the Nara compound. After he was gone, Shikamaru rolled on his side and eyed Sasuke inscrutably. Sasuke leaned against one of the porch columns and waited for the questions he was sure were coming.

Inevitably, Shikamaru spoke up. "So... you got shut down, huh?"

"What?"

"By Hinata, I mean."

Sasuke froze. Shikamaru smirked. "You know, you're not as unreadable as you like to think. You're a pretty habitual guy. I've known you for years." At Sasuke's indignant expression, Shikamuru chortled. "Despite what you may think, everyone who is part of the 'gang' _does_ consider you their friend. You've tried to keep to yourself, but you've been at the center of Naruto's and Sakura's lives for so long that we were just pulled along with them." Sasuke's mouth tightened. Well. Leave it to Shikamaru to make someone feel like a turtle without its shell. Shikamaru continued, "To be fair to Hinata, it's not exactly like anyone has any experience with seeing you in love... and you come across as pretty disinterested in relationships usually."

Sasuke berated the color that bloomed in his cheeks. "Who said I was in love?"

"Come on, Sasuke. Were you even listening when I said you're easier to read than you think? Don't worry: I won't tell anyone."

"Ugh," Sasuke leaned forward, pressing his face into his hands.

"Anyway," Shikamaru grabbed a handful of cherries and started nibbling on them. "Hinata, Kiba and Shino haven't been as close to the rest of us for as long. Not to mention Hinata has hardly ever been around that much because of family stuff... She doesn't know you that well, Sasuke. Heck, she's been in love with Naruto for _years_ at this point. It'll probably be pretty hard for her to unplug from that and pursue a relationship with someone else. You're going to have to try a lot harder if you want her to come to you."

Sasuke frowned. "How do you know about her and... Naruto?"

"Let me put it this way. If I can read you like a book, Hinata is like a massive billboard that broadcasts her feelings in real-time."

"Hmm..." Sasuke pondered Shikamaru's words for a few moments. "Well," he said, "it's not like it really matters, anyway."

"Oh?" Shikamaru spat out a cherry pit. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm not going to keep trying. What Hinata does is none of my business."

"You're just going to drop your friendship with her? Just like that?"

Sasuke felt his skin prickle as rational thought left him. "We never even had a friendship. I was just tutoring her."

"You and I both know it was more than that, Sasuke."

"Well, it wasn't for her." The bitterness in Sasuke's words blistered his lips as he uttered them. He looked away, attempting to conceal the burning emotions he was feeling. The betrayal. The rage that spread like a shield against the hurt. He felt too open under Shikamaru's scrutinizing gaze. Those sharp, Nara eyes that peeled back people's walls like rose petals, laying bare the inner workings of their most instinctual thoughts. It was nothing like Naruto's sunny suggestions, or the way he allowed people to wallow in themselves until they were ready to change on their own or until he was forced to step in lest they hurt themselves or someone else.

"Well," Shikamaru mused, chewing a cherry idly, "that's your business, I guess. I won't pry."

Sasuke sincerely hoped that would yield true.

* * *

The new semester began. Sasuke hadn't heard from Hinata since the party and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. What would they talk about, anyway? It was foolish to think she'd still feel close with him. Despite telling himself that, Sasuke's day passed by in a repressed strain. He found himself overly distracted, head slipping from his hand more than once. When he finally entered the Military History lecture hall, he wasn't sure how he'd respond to seeing her again.

He stepped through the door—and there she was.

She was sitting back in her original seat, towards the front of the room. The sun from the high windows illuminated the blue in her hair, much like when he'd first realized she shared the class with him. Sasuke felt his breath quake and he lurched to get to his usual seat. The class began, but his mind was elsewhere. Then, suddenly, the class was over.

Sasuke blinked at the clock in confusion. How?

Students around him pulled their books together, packing away papers and pencils into their bags and already rushing to enjoy the afternoon. Through the noise, the notes of a conversation caught his attention and he searched for the source. Naturally, it was from a few rows in front of him. Hinata was giggling, chatting with a brown-haired girl next to her about summer break. He couldn't find it in himself to look away, so he was forced to sit there and replay the stab of her meek rejection over and over again in his mind's eye. The girl gathered her books and turned back to Hinata.

"So what did _you_ do over break? Anything interesting happen?"

Hinata's cheeks flushed and Sasuke felt his stomach start to boil. She tucked her hair behind her ear sheepishly. "I didn't do much. I spent some time with the others at the beach."

"Oh yeah?" The girl's face lit up. "I bet you were really popular! You always look so cute in a swimsuit!" She laughed boisterously. "How many guys confessed, Hinata?"

Sasuke bit his tongue and had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from cursing. Hinata's flush spread to her neck and she stammered uncomfortably, "J-just one..." Sasuke felt like time stopped. The girl immediately cooed in awe.

"Wow! What happened? Did you say yes? Who was it?"

Hinata shook her head, "It was just a friend. Truthfully, I turned him down. He was joking, anyway. There's no way he'd have feelings for me." A heavy feeling sank down in Sasuke's chest. Did... did she really think that?

The girl's expression faltered, "Oh, Hinata, that's not true. You're great! I'm sure he meant it!"

Yes, Hinata, he meant it. He really did.

"No," Hinata said. "He's not really close to anyone and I just got to know him recently. I'm sure if he was in love with anyone, it would be someone he's known longer." She forced a smile. "Besides, we have that kind of teasing relationship! He probably just wanted to mess with me and I took it too weird. Anyway, I have somewhere to be. Have a good day!" She quickly stowed her things away and pulled her bag over her shoulder before bustling out the door, leaving her friend behind. The girl shrugged and continued packing up.

Soon, Sasuke was alone in the room, paralyzed by what he'd just heard.

Hinata didn't believe him. She thought he was _joking_ with her! Was Shikamaru right, after all? Did he really seem insincere?

Well what in the _world_ could he do about that? It wasn't like he could just flip a switch and become someone she could believe, right?

Right?

"Oh god..." Sasuke slumped forward on the desk, defeated. "I'm going to have to change, aren't I?"

* * *

 **Welcome back and sorry this was late! As I said on tumblr, I got swamped by real life responsibilities and my mental health left me too tired to post it on Thursday. But, here we are! Sorry if Sasuke seems a little OOC. I just really wanted to see him cry for some reason, haha;; I've really been enjoying everyone's feedback. I think it's helping me to form a more well-rounded story than I would have been able to on my own. I also hope that the little details mixed in here have maybe enlightened some of the confusing things, like why Hinata and Sasuke haven't really gotten to know each other before.**

 _Danish 78: I'm glad the build up was decent! I really struggled to make it work and procrastinated the whole time I was supposed to be writing that chapter, haha._

 _DAngel7: He definitely isn't the type to sleep with someone random to get over her, in my opinion. This Sasuke, at any rate. He's going to be a good boy!_

 _d0wn-t0-mars: Poor Sasuke! He's the victim of my author-sadism!_

 _claire-and-elide: I'm glad that Sasuke's feelings came across subtly! Subtlety is such a hard thing to achieve in writing, especially in romance._

 _Giada Luna: I appreciate that you took the time to review if you don't normally, it means so much to me! I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far and that you've caught the sneaky details. It always feels good to have dropped hints being acknowledged! Your review made me glow with happiness, and I hope you enjoy the story to the end._

 _Rroxz: The cringe means my writing worked, haha! Thank you for reviewing :D_

 _Guest: Tears for his poor, broken heart!_

 _anon: In a sick way, I'm glad I got someone to say "feels", haha. It means I got the emotions across properly!_

 _Jess: I'm so glad you're loving my story! Thank you for reading!_

 _Guest 2: Alas, romance is not always easy!_

 _Guest 3: Oh my your review is so nice! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm also happy Sasuke realized his feelings. Now he can grow up a bit._

 _WhoopsxD: Indeed, but not close enough, haha._

 _mili: This story is in no danger of being abandoned! I already have it planned out to the end so you get to see the happy ending :) Thank you for your review, it made me feel so grateful!_

 _farahb: No problem, don't feel obligated to review; it's fully up to you when you want to do it :) Yeah, Sakura is a bit 50/50 so far, but with what I have in store for her maybe she'll be redeemed? Who knows, hehe! Prickly is a good word for Ino in this story, suits her well. What a high compliment to say that your heart broke with Sasuke's! That's really what I was going for and I'm so pleased it worked out well. Hope this chapter answered some of your questions about their friend groups!_

 _Pookie Luffs Sushi: It's very sad, but I can't help but feel happy that I broke hearts, hehe!_

 _Guest 4: No flashbacks here... What part seemed like that? Maybe it was poor wording on my part._

 _Saki-Hime: Soon, but not yet! Hinata needs to grow as well ;)_

 _random716: Hello fellow tumblr user! Glad you stuck around! I feel so happy that you said you "didn't know when you started rooting for them" as it was exactly what I aimed to do with this story. Don't feel bad about anything that could be negative; criticism helps me get better. I've realized since writing this that Sakura was probably written a little over the top, but I will be working with her later in the story. She's a very emotional person and tends to overreact always, whether happy or sad or whatever. Thanks for your trust that I will handle Hinata's moving on from Naruto well, I hope I don't disappoint! And yeah, the spoon moment was cute for me too, ha._

 _Yuki no Ai: I'm glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Guest 5: Ahah, I squealed when I got your review. No refunds, though! You must stick it out to the end when you will be crushed with fluff and happiness! As with farahb, I hope Shikamaru's comments here help explain why Sasuke and Hinata never knew each other really. Your review was so nice... It was very humbling and really inspired me to keep getting better as a writer. Careful not to set your house on fire with Itachi's candles! ;)_

 _madteen66: Glad to hear everyone's in character and I hope you enjoy the update! Thank you for your review!_

 **Also, feel free to keep laying on the feedback. Let's make a wonderful story together~ Have a good night!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"You want to speak with me? About what?"

"I just..." Sasuke fiddled with a loose thread on his shirt sleeve. "I've been thinking about some things and I feel like you're probably the best person to... ask about them."

Itachi sighed on the other end of the line. "I see. Well, I'll do my best. I have some obligations tonight and will most likely be back late."

"What kind of obligations? Is it work stuff?"

"Yes."

Sasuke frowned. "Well, why not just say 'work', then?"

"Sasuke..." A woman's voice interrupted in the background, saying something about an 'appointment' and needing Itachi's attention elsewhere. Itachi sighed again and cleared his throat. "I have to go. I'll see you later tonight, Sasuke."

Sasuke exhaled loudly. "...Fine. See you later." He dropped the phone on the couch beside him after ending the call.

It was the end of the week. Ever since his epiphany on Monday about needing to change for Hinata to better understand him, he'd been slowly unpacking his vault of emotions and thoughts, metaphorically running his thumbs over them in order to process them better. Several times Hinata and he had made eye contact in class or across campus, but they'd looked away instead of saying anything. Sometimes she'd blush. Sometimes he'd kick himself for being such a coward.

Loathe as he was to admit it, he was still hurting from her rejection. It also bothered him that he didn't know if she'd rejected him only because she believed him to be joking... or because she actually still loved Naruto.

 _That blond idiot._

Eventually, he realized that he wasn't sure where to begin on the vague concept of 'change'. He knew he needed to be more honest, but the truth was he didn't think he was really _dishonest_ to begin with. He just didn't gush about his thoughts like so many other people did.

Although... he _did_ have a habit of stuffing down his feelings instead of working through them.

He needed help, so he decided that—hard as it may be—he needed Itachi's advice. He needed Itachi's advice because he knew, somewhere deep inside, that facing those feelings he always shoved aside would probably bring up the things he would rather _not_ think about.

The fears of his _nouveau_ attraction to Hinata.

His never-quite-healed-properly pain regarding his parents' demise.

Then... something deeper... darker... Something that had been locked away in a chest in the basement of his mind with boxes and boxes placed on top of it. Every instinct Sasuke possessed screamed at him to run away from it when he or someone else got too close.

He didn't want to face that part of himself alone, so who better to ask to help than the person who inadvertently created it in the first place?

* * *

Hours later, when Itachi finally arrived, he stiffened immediately seeing Sasuke in the living room. "I take it this conversation will probably be deeper than you asking me about the weather?" A hint of mirth colored his question, as if he was trying to lighten a mood that was sinking fast. Sasuke motioned to a mug of tea that sat, steaming, on the coffee table across from his own. Itachi nodded solemnly. "I see." He finished setting his things down and hanging his coat before padding into the living room and sitting on the chair opposite Sasuke's seat on the couch. He picked up the tea and wrapped the mug with elegant fingers. "What would you like to speak about?" Sasuke drank from his own mug before breathing deeply. He rubbed clammy palm on his knees a few times.

"I don't really know where to start, honestly," he said. "It's about Hinata, but I feel like there's more to it than that."

"Okay," Itachi said. "Why don't you just start at what's in the front of your mind and we can work our way deeper?"

Sasuke nodded. "I... I confessed... to Hinata during the break." He gulped thickly; the words felt strange leaving his mouth. "I just found out the other day that she thought I was messing with her. That and something Shikamaru said to me... made me realize that I probably... haven't been the easiest person to be around."

"That's surprisingly straightforward of you to say, Sasuke." Itachi's dark eyes glittered with a teasing sort of pride.

"I want to be different," Sasuke blurted. At Itachi's surprised expression, his voice faltered. "I... The truth is I've probably thought this for a while... I don't want to be this way but I feel like..." His throat tightened. "Every time I try to change, it feels like there's something sort of... _sitting_ on me. It holds me down and most of the time it's just easier to lie down and accept it." The sickly feeling of vulnerability overcame him and he stared at his mug. "It's exhausting."

"Sasuke..." Itachi murmured gently. Sasuke looked up. Itachi leaned forward, setting his mug on the table. He rested his forearms on his knees and gazed intently at his younger brother. "Those feelings are to be expected, don't you agree?" Sasuke felt his whole body tense up. There it was again: that heavy concern that Itachi exuded only at certain times. It weighed down on him, threatening to break apart his innermost walls. He shook his head stiffly.

"That's not a good enough reason." Sasuke clenched his fists in front of him.

"All right." Itachi leaned back in his seat again and rested his cheek against his hand. "Let's think about it like this: if Hinata hadn't rejected you, do you think you would be able to be completely open with her? Would you let her into your innermost self?" Sasuke continued staring at the tea in front of him. Itachi continued, "Would you be able to _trust_ her?"

A minute passed in silence as Sasuke mulled over Itachi's questions. They were too probing; it felt like someone was using a scalpel to slice and pull open wounds he wanted hidden. Did he, though? He wasn't sure.

"Perhaps," Itachi mused, "her rejection was a blessing in disguise."

"How can you say that?!" Sasuke was on his feet in an instant. "What 'good' could it possibly do?" He glared indignantly at his older brother who remained still and composed.

"Sasuke, do not react so rashly. I'm only trying to help."

While the words served only to inflame his defensive wrath, Sasuke knew he was overreacting. He bit his tongue and took several deep breaths.

"As I was saying," Itachi said firmly, "maybe Hinata's refusal will push you towards resolving other aspects of yourself that you decide hinder you. Maybe you'll discover and confront something more important first." He eyed Sasuke meaningfully. "However, I don't know everything. You will have to think about it more on your own until you decide what needs to change."

Sasuke grit his teeth. "That seems like a very long-winded way to say you have no idea how to help me and I'm basically screwed."

"Maybe." Itachi hid his smirk behind the rim of his cup as he sipped his tea.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted them. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who on Earth...?"

"I called Naruto. Go ahead and open the door."

Sasuke threw his hands into the air. "Why would you do _that_?!"

"In case I got held up at the office, of course." Itachi set his empty mug on the table and stood, stretching. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like unwind for a bit. It's been a long day." He ghosted to the hall and melted into the shadows. "Try to glean something edifying from Naruto, won't you?"

"Itachi!"

The door burst open, revealing Naruto in a bright orange sweatsuit. Seeing Sasuke, he shook his fist and shouted, "Hey, are you trying to let me freeze to death out there? Why dontcha let me in after I knock?"

Sasuke blinked, frazzled. "It's not even fall yet! Why would you freeze, idiot?"

"Because I'm standing out there in the hallway and it's not insulated or heated, you jerk! Why the heck did your brother say I need to come over? Are you dying or something?"

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek, attempting to quell the rampage emotions that Naruto so frequently ignited in him. "Shut up. Just sit down."

"Nah, I'm hungry."

"Then go to the kitchen and find something."

"Well if you don't mind me _imposing_ on you, Your Highness," Naruto spat sarcastically. He sauntered down the hall to the kitchen, Sasuke trailing behind in a confused haze. He was still reeling from his conversation with Itachi—he was operating on auto-pilot. Naruto shuffled through the cabinets, wrinkling his nose with distaste whenever he came across something he deemed too 'fancy'. "Dontcha guys have any ramen?"

"I prefer _not_ poisoning myself, if it's all the same to you."

"As if ramen could be poisonous," Naruto grumbled. He finally discovered a tin of mixed _arare_ and snagged a soda from the fridge. He bit the tab open and grinned at Sasuke like he'd discovered a chest of gold. "So what's up? Itachi said it was urgent."

Sasuke cursed his older brother in his mind and growled out the first thing that came to mind. "What makes a person seem sincere?" Naruto over-corrected his spit-take and instead choked on the gulp of soda he'd just taken. Sasuke stared at him irritably as he coughed himself back to some semblance of normal breathing. After several gasping wheezes, he blinked rapidly.

" _What_? Sincere? Sasuke?"

"You heard me."

"But like, why are you asking?"

Sasuke groaned, pressing his hands against his face, and walked back to the living room. Naruto followed, stuffing his mouth with _arare_. Sasuke fell back on the couch, yanking a pillow up over his face. Naruto sank down in the chair Itachi had been sitting in. He munched thoughtfully for a few moments, then his eyebrows shot up.

"Did something happen with Hinata? Did she call you a liar or somethin'?"

" _No_."

"Well," Naruto huffed smugly, "if you aren't gonna be _honest_ with me, then I ain't gonna tell ya!" He washed down the crackers with a swig of soda and sat back, throwing his legs up onto the coffee table.

Sasuke briefly wished for death.

Finally, he dropped the pillow down and stared at the ceiling. "I just want to know a different perspective, Naruto. Try not to be such a waste of space."

Naruto chuckled. "Okay, okay, okay. Sincerity, huh?" He set aside his snacks and folded his hands over his stomach. His lower lip pushed out slightly, betraying the depth of his pondering. "I guess... people think you're sincere when you aren't afraid to meet them face to face, regardless of the situation. Like, if someone's mad at you, you won't shy away and avoid them. You'll listen to everything they have to say and then you'll come back with all of your _own_ thoughts. You're willing to reach down to the deepest parts of them and say 'I'm trying to understand you, and I hope you can understand me too'."

Sasuke frowned. It sounded horrible.

"Are you trying to... be more sincere?" Naruto asked tentatively.

Sasuke shrugged, "I already thought I was."

Naruto hummed. "Well... if you need somewhere to start... The most sincere person I know is Sakura." Sasuke bristled. Naruto floundered to elaborate, "I know you guys haven't really been on speaking terms for a while, but I really think if you gave it another shot... tried to see her perspective and be _open_ about your own... Without blowing up, of course..." He trailed off, seemingly having lost hope. Sasuke didn't respond right away, but when he did, Naruto nearly fell out of his seat.

"You're right. I'll try talking to her again."

He had to kick Naruto out after that, because he wouldn't stop asking if he was the 'real' Sasuke or not.

* * *

After another excruciating week of school and awkward moments spent avoiding Hinata, Naruto informed Sasuke that their circle of friends had agreed to meet up at the largest park in Konoha for a day out to enjoy the last of summer before autumn set in. Through every moment leading up to his arrival at the park, Sasuke felt his stomach twist and churn painfully, knotting and untangling like the writhing tentacles of an octopus.

When he finally made it to the gates, he very nearly turned back. Were it not for Naruto loudly calling his name and drawing attention to his appearance, he would have. Against his conscious will, he found his eyes darting between the familiar faces of the group, seeking out blue-black hair and pearl eyes.

"She's not here," a voice next to him whispered. He jolted and turned to see Ino, her hands stuffed in the pockets of a fashionable sweater. Knowing that she'd call him out for 'lying' about his feelings, he simply nodded. After a few uncomfortable moments, she spoke again. "Listen, Sasuke... I'm sorry if it seemed like I was sticking my nose into your business before. I just—Sakura's my best friend and I've known about her feelings for you for so long... I didn't want you to hurt her. I especially didn't want you to hurt her over something that was shallow."

Sasuke scoffed. "'Shallow'," he echoed bitterly. He wish it had been; all this would be easier if it was.

Ino shrugged, "Judging by the way things have progressed with you and Hinata, though... I suppose Sakura had to move on at some point."

Sasuke frowned, "You don't sound angry."

"I'm not," Ino smiled somberly. "I never hated Hinata. It was never about that. I was just being a loyal friend. But hey," she bumped Sasuke with her elbow playfully, "I had to get over my crush on you, too. Sakura will be better because of this. I'm sure of it." At Sasuke's gawking, she laughed. "What, you didn't _know_ I liked you? Yeah, well, don't cry about it now!" She flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder, "I moved on to better things a _long_ time ago." As if on cue, an unfamiliar, dark-haired young man walked up from across the park. He waved at Ino, smiling stiffly. She waved back and moved to walked towards, turning once before she left. "Naruto told me you're planning to talk to Sakura again. I hope it goes well, for both of your sakes."

Watching her go, Sasuke felt one of the knots in his stomach uncoil and a flower of relief bloom in its place.

 _Was that being 'sincere'?_

Knowing that he could only put off the inevitable for so long, he scanned the group for a pink head of hair. Almost immediately he saw Sakura walking up to Ino and who he assumed was her boyfriend. They chatted happily for a few moments before Ino pointed in Sasuke's direction, causing Sakura to look his way. He tensed, head sinking down between his shoulders a fraction. Steeling his nerves, he forced a half-smile and waved cautiously. Sakura's eyes went frigid. However, Ino tapped her shoulder and shook her head, saying something that made Sakura appear taken aback. She nodded and then made her way to where Sasuke was standing.

"So," she said sharply, "I heard you had something to say to me?"

Sasuke chewed his lip. "I... I'm sorry for kicking you out before."

Sakura's venomous expression fell, leaving behind shock in its wake. "W-what?"

"I said I was sorry."

She raised a hand. "I know—I heard you, but... I'm just surprised." She looked at the ground for a few moments, breathing softly. She looked back at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I should apologize too. I wasn't being fair... to you _or_ Hinata." Sasuke nodded vaguely. Sakura bit her lower lip, glancing around uneasily. "If you don't mind me asking... What made you... decide to apologize?"

Sasuke looked out over the park, watching their... friends... take turns throwing a frisbee for Kiba's dog. The tangle in his belly quivered and he gulped as if it could ease some of the tightness.

"I just realized some things," he said. "About myself, but also about other people too, I think." He met her gaze once more. "I'm... trying to be better."

Sakura's cheeks colored delicately, "Does... does that mean...?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings... and I would like this to be the last time I have to say it."

Her flush deepened and she looked down at her shoes. "I-I see. So you and Hinata, then?"

Sasuke's mouth tightened, "No. She... loves someone else."

Sakura smiled shakily, "So I just had no chance from the beginning? Is that it?" She blinked back her tears. Sasuke thought carefully. He really _did_ want to change... It was so much harder than he thought, though, being gentle. He inhaled deeply.

"Maybe... if things had been different from the very beginning... It just turned out this way."

"Yeah... that's..." Sakura suddenly gave a breathy laugh, "not really comforting at all." She raised a hand to her mouth and continued giggling behind it. Confusion gave way to realization as Sasuke finally connected how _awkward_ everything was. He laughed with her.

"Maybe in another universe," Sakura offered. He shrugged.

"Maybe."

Several minutes passed. They stood side by side, watching their friends interact peacefully. A fragile yet pleasant silence settled over them before Sakura spoke up again.

"Still... can I stop avoiding you now?"

Sasuke frowned, "I never told you to start. That was all your idea."

Sakura chuckled again. "Yeah... I guess I thought you'd eventually feel bad and fall for me, or something." At Sasuke's nervous glance she waved a hand back and forth. "I'll settle for an apology. To be honest, I've been doing some soul-searching lately and I realized... that I was probably too attached to you."

"Oh?"

She rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Shocking right? Seriously, though... I decided... I wanted to move away from that side of myself. This is embarrassing, but... for a long time, I made all my choices based off of what I thought you'd like."

A familiar pearl-eyed gaze flashed before Sasuke's eyes.

Sakura rubbed her neck sheepishly, "Looking back on it, though... It wasn't very nice to put you in that position. It kind of... reduced you to something non-sentient. Like, if I could come up with the right formula I'd get the answer I want. But," she met his eyes shyly, "you're not just a machine. You're a human with a complex personality and—like it felt cruel for you to despise my attraction to you—it was wrong of me to be upset that you liked someone else. So I'm sorry, again."

Sasuke dipped his head. "I forgive you... and I hope you'll forgive me, too?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, as long as it means we can be friends again. Or rather, can we maybe start fresh?"

He smirked, "That's probably for the best." He offered her a hand and she shook it pleasantly.

"It feels good to have you back, Sasuke."

"Yeah..."

They chatted after that, catching up on the state of their schoolwork and random life events. Sasuke felt the rest of the knots in his stomach pull away from each other as they spoke. He was beginning to understand more and more about the relationships that had been tied to him throughout his life. He'd fallen into taking them for granted, but after meeting Hinata he realized the effects that even a small action could have on another person.

He wouldn't change overnight. He knew that.

But he didn't want to step away from the journey. For his own sake, he wanted to make enough progress to prove to Hinata that he really did love her. To make that happen, he'd have to broaden his understanding of the interactions he had with the people in his life.

Some day, hopefully soon, he'd manage to convince Hinata that he was 'sincere'.

After a time, Sakura noticed Choji and Naruto attempting to bully a street-food vendor into providing them the means to have an eating competition and ran off to scold them, leaving Sasuke to enjoy the changing season on his own. He breathed in deeply, sensing the first crispness of September flirting with the fresh scent of summer.

Suddenly, his phone rang—a foreign ringtone, signaling an unknown number. He brought the phone to his ear, feeling the fleeting brush of his nervous tangles touching his chest and belly.

"Hello?"

"Is this Sasuke Uchiha?" _That voice_...

"Yes, this is him speaking."

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but your brother is in the hospital."

* * *

 **Um... yes... so... ANYWAY. I regret to say that from this point on... the reviews are getting too long for me to respond to each one, so I'll only be responding to ones with a lot of questions/concrit/super important stuff. I still am very thankful for all the ones I get. I never thought a story of mine could get so much interaction! Thank you for everyone who takes the time to read, review, follow, and/or favorite.**

 _Giada Luna: I have to thank you for your review, because it clued me in on a bit of a plot... not necessarily a hole but a vagueness that needed to be fixed. Keeping your observations in mind, I've added some details that will hopefully make this a much better, more well-rounded story. On another note, Shikamaru is a favorite of mine as well ^^_

 _sumire syrup: Funnily enough, this was originally meant to be a total romantic comedy with swapping POVs. However, the deeper I got, the more I realized that those concepts had been done to death and (while I'm not against cliches by any means) I wanted something different for this pairing._

 _Candle Guest: Can I call you that? :) You noticed Tenten! I'm so happy, haha. I'm glad to be providing fresher material and hope you continue your deep investment._

 _Guest who enjoyed Sasuke's tears: You are not alone. That scene was strangely one of my main motivators for writing this story, haha._

 **To the new reviewers and readers, hello, thank you for your lovely words! Hope you enjoy this ongoing story :) Hope everyone has a good night!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

All of the aspects Sasuke had built up inside of himself throughout his life shattered. In a single moment, a single sentence, he was reduced to being a child once more. The voice on the phone continued speaking in clipped tones, informing him of Itachi's collapse, the hospital location and the room number, but Sasuke could barely follow as the voice faded along with the rest of his senses. The floodgates of memory broke down with the rest of his being and he sank, drowning in the past.

A flash of him standing in the front hall of the Uchiha main house as Itachi explained that he wouldn't have time to play with him anymore. Itachi, flanked by a tall figure who smiled too much.

The emptiness of the house whenever he returned from school. The emptiness of the voices of the staff members who drove him, who cooked for him, who cleaned the mansion.

His bedroom always closed in on him in the night, but there was no one to call out to.

Utterly alone.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, waving a hand in front of his face. Sasuke's head snapped up. Face pale, his dark eyes darted around him and all he could feel was the cold sheen of sweat on his back. Naruto grabbed his shoulder. " _Sasuke_ , what _happened_?"

"I-Itachi," Sasuke blurted. His voice sounded strange and far away. "Itachi collapsed." Instantly, Naruto's eyes grew serious. Sasuke wheezed a narrow inhale. He noticed that the others had gathered around when Naruto had started yelling at him to snap out of it. Their nervous expressions overwhelmed him.

 _Don't look at me, don't look at me! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR EYES LIKE THAT!_

He remembered the voices... the way everyone he'd ever known had looked at him. The rest of the Uchiha 'clan' had always hushed their speech when he got close. They'd look at him with pity. At first, he didn't understand. He hadn't experienced death before his parents. When he grew to know the meaning behind those looks, when he learned what death truly was, he accepted the look in the dark eyes that filled the district.

As he grew older, however, he turned jaded. For as much as those faces had pitied him, they'd never tried to comfort him. Instead, he was left only to catch snippets of conversations in the room beside him, behind closed doors, or around corners.

 _"The poor boy is all alone now, what with his brother taking over the company."_

 _"What a tragedy... do you think he suspects...?"_

 _"There's no way he could know... Best to just leave him be."_

They never tried to reach out to him like a person. It wasn't _him_ who put up the glass wall between the rest of the world and himself. It had started _there_ , in the innermost circles of his _own family_.

"Sasuke." Naruto's voice was at his ear again. "Tell me what hospital he's at. You have to go see him." Sasuke felt the words brush over his tongue. Vaguely, he sensed Naruto nodding and tugging on his arm. Were they walking? What tangible threads connected him to the outside world trembled. He clutched his cell phone in his hand like an anchor. A pounding mantra of desperation throbbed in his skull.

 _I can't lose Itachi... Not Itachi... I can't lose him... Not Itachi..._

Another flash. A smooth voice. A twisted, smug grin.

 _"Sasuke... You know what they're saying about your parents, don't you?"_

Somehow, Naruto managed to get him to the hospital. He turned to Sasuke at the door, shaking his shoulder gently. "You're going to have to get a grip, Sasuke. I don't know if they'll let me go in with you."

A practiced steeliness slid over Sasuke's visage. Like a protective shell, it enveloped his mind, pushing aside the rampant thoughts of an age long since past and guarding his necessary faculties. With an alien sort of clarity, he studied their surroundings.

"We have to go to floor five."

Naruto grunted his understanding and they moved to the nearest elevator. Sasuke blinked vacantly at the buttons. Almost as if he was watching the actions of another through their eyes, his hand rose to press the button marked 'five'. He stood still after that, staring at the stainless steel wall and doing his best to keep himself from falling apart again.

"Sasuke, he'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"I... can't know that," Sasuke murmured. Naruto eyed him carefully, expecting him to elaborate. He didn't. The elevator _dinged_ softly and the doors slid open. Naruto nudged Sasuke and walked past him. Sasuke trailed behind. Noticing the way the fluorescent lights crackled overhead, he felt the first fracture in his emergency steel shell form.

"Okay, so the info desk is over that way..." Naruto's voice seemed to flicker in and out of focus. Why were those lights so darn _bright_? Sasuke rubbed his eyes. A memory—like a bubble in water—slipped through the crack in his fortress.

 _"I don't need to be here! Itachi!"_

He shook his head. Recalling the image of a trunk of dark secrets in the basement of his mind, he fervently hoped that it remained locked.

They reached the information desk and a woman with short, dark hair looked up from the files strewn in front of her. While her face was impassive, her eyes were a sea of worry. She breathed shakily. She glanced between the young men in front of her. "Can I help you?" At the sound of her voice, another cracked formed in Sasuke's mind.

The sting of glass shards peppering skin. A feral, unending shriek.

 _"We need more hands over here!"_

Fingers pressing, pulling, grasping, shoving.

 _"Somebody, hold him down. Get more gauze!"_

The bite of a needle. The tug of straps on wrists. The scent of blood and rubber.

 _"I'm sorry, but you'll be staying with us a while longer."_

Naruto looked nervous. "Um... He's here to see Itachi Uchiha." Hearing the name, the woman's face went pale. Sasuke noticed the flash of recognition that flickered in her eyes when she looked at him again.

"One moment, please. I'll check you in." Her fingers brushed over the keyboard. The lights flickered more. Sasuke gulped in breaths that tasted of sterility and rubber gloves. His throat felt like cotton and he raked fingers through his hair, attempting to still the trembling that was blossoming over his torso like a bruise. The woman looked up once more, not quite meeting his gaze. "He's still in urgent care. I've notified the doctor that you're here, so please follow those signs to the waiting room. Someone will be along to tell you the details shortly." She gestured at a path of arrows. Sasuke started to walk but Naruto grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

"Wait." He stared into Sasuke's face soberly. "What's going on with you? This is more than your brother."

"It's nothing," Sasuke spat through clenched teeth. He attempted to pull away but Naruto's grip tightened.

"It _is_. Look at you—you're shaking. Sasuke, what is _wrong_?"

Why did it feel like his lungs were collapsing? Why did it seem like he was making it all about him? Itachi had _collapsed_... so why was he only remembering things that had happened to him?

"I," Sasuke forced the words out in an agonized, strained breath, "I _can't_..."

Naruto leaned back and observed him, eyes roving up and down his form. Sasuke sank deeper into himself under the weight of the stare. Naruto's eyes... had they always felt like Itachi's when they were worried? Shivering, he drew his arms over his chest tightly. Finally, Naruto sighed and placed his hands on either of Sasuke's shoulders. He leaned his forehead against Sasuke's.

"I don't know what happened, so I can't do much. But, Sasuke, you have to be strong. Itachi needs you just as much as you need him."

Sasuke hated that _tone_. It felt so condescending, so self-righteous. It felt like all the hundreds of times Itachi had chided him for everything from failing a test to burning a meal he'd been cooking. It felt like the patronizing press of two fingertips against his forehead.

The thought was more than he could bear.

"Get _away_ from me!" Sasuke slapped Naruto's arms off his shoulders and stepped back, roaring, "Why are you always so... _wrapped up_ in what I do? It's none of your business!" Naruto frowned.

"I'm trying to help you!"

"I don't _want_ your help!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto bared his teeth. "Stop being like this!"

" _Leave_!" Sasuke's eyes flashed. Naruto paused briefly, noting the placement of Sasuke's feet—the way his back was hunched and his arms were tightly clenched. He looked like a cornered animal, fearful more than angry. Naruto sighed again and turned to leave.

"Fine... but only because I feel like... it'll hurt you more if I stay." After watching him depart, Sasuke turned his gaze towards the woman at the desk. She ducked her head, focusing intently on the computer screen. He exhaled sharply and stalked away, following the signs to the waiting room. The white walls of the hospital seemed to loom over him ominously. He bowed his head and continued walking, doing his best to ignore the ambient sounds of the hospital lest they trigger something else.

The waiting room was empty when he reached it, so he sat on one of the chairs and took several deep breaths.

 _"...your brother is in the hospital."_

The words echoed in his ears. His head lolled between his shoulders and he pressed his palms over his ears. " _No_... don't make me _think_ about it..." A knock on the door caused Sasuke to jolt and he straightened up, gripping the arms of his chair, white-knuckled. A man with blond hair wearing a white coat stepped in. He saw Sasuke and bowed.

"I'm Doctor Raikochu. I'm overseeing your brother Itachi's treatment."

Again, that feeling of being a child flooded Sasuke's being."What... what happened, exactly?

The doctor looked solemn, "From what I heard from his assistant, he began to cough violently, eventually expelling a great deal of blood. While they called for an ambulance, he collapsed. When the EMTs brought him in, he was very feverish."

Sasuke swallowed. His mouth was dry. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure quite yet, but, from the examination," the doctor looked away uncomfortably, "my best guess would be lung cancer." When Sasuke didn't respond, Raikochu continued, "Unfortunately, if that's correct, it would be quite a late diagnosis." The implications hung heavy, lingering in the air between them like smoke. A beep sounded from the doctor's hip. He checked it and bowed once more. "It seems your brother's chest scans have just been analyzed. I'll be back as soon as I can to tell you more." He spun on his heel and exited, leaving Sasuke in pallid solitude.

Lung cancer.

How had he been so _stupid_?

Little details, moments that—when pieced together—formed a clear picture, came rushing back to him. Itachi's worsening cough. His pale complexion. Being late more frequently and suddenly increasing the time spent with his college friends... it all made sense. Even as little as a week ago there had been a clue when the voice in the background of their phone call had mentioned an 'appointment'. Sasuke crumpled, choking out a dry sob as he buried his face in his hands.

 _I was too caught up in my own_ insignificant _problems to see it!_

He slipped out of the chair, sinking down into an upright fetal position.

 _I can't lose him too!_

The shell broke and the water rushed in.

* * *

It was two years after their parents' passing when Sasuke finally accepted that things would never go back to the way they were before. Enough sleepless nights had passed to cease his crying for their mother, enough boring days to stop wishing that Itachi would spend time with him. Between the hefty workload of junior high school and his extensive grooming for the future position of CEO, Itachi was rarely home anymore.

After the allowed grieving period set by the school had run down, Sasuke had returned to his academy hoping to take solace in his friends... but none came. Most of the students he'd known had heard from their families of his situation and children rarely know how to handle the complicated nuance that comes with another person's emotional state. Therefore, they chose to avoid him. Even Sakura, who had been extremely vocal about her 'feelings' for him, was loathe to get too close. Sometimes he'd catch her watching him from afar, but she'd always turn away before he could say anything.

The years passed and when he was thirteen years old, he heard the first strains of it. Whispers in the clan, voices that didn't quiet in time to preserve his innocence.

 _"Well, of course it was an inside job, you know."_

It had been two middle-aged shopkeepers talking while one of them swept her front step. He'd been walking back from school when he'd heard voices mention his parents' names. It froze him behind the corner and he'd heard the rest moments after.

 _"The city thought they were planning something. They couldn't just leave that alone, could they?"_

 _"You should be quiet, Meiomi... Who knows what they'll do if someone hears you?"_

The twisting illness in his stomach had almost given him away when he walked past them. Little did he know, the first roots of doubt had taken deep in his heart, and the path it would later lead him down would nearly destroy the Uchiha. Those roots were fertilized further when he was sneaking into the kitchen one night in hopes for a snack. The cook and her assistant had stayed up late to clean, but he hadn't known. Hand poised to push aside the door, he'd been paralyzed once more.

 _"They brought it on themselves, didn't they? By plotting against the mayor..."_

The cook had hissed at the young man, _"How dare you say that in this house? Regardless, the Uchiha stand by the Uchiha and no one else."_

 _"So they did it?"_

 _"Only the gods know at this point."_ The cook had sighed. _"If only Obito were here... He might have been able to offer some insight."_ But Obito wasn't there, because he'd gone missing a decade before, so the mystery remained... and Sasuke grew more curious and more distrusting of those around him. Over the next year, he began to listen more carefully at the cracks in doors and through open windows, around corners and over walls.

There were three rumors he'd managed to collect. One: the city council had paid to have his parents killed, two: that they'd allegedly been killed because they'd been plotting with Sharingan Corp's higher-ups to rig the next election in their favor, and three: someone within the company was responsible for betraying the coup's information to the city.

Embittered, Sasuke had vowed to find out the truth, so he'd confronted a then-nineteen year old Itachi. However, Sasuke was not as experienced with navigating Itachi's evasive personality and instead of finding anything out at all, he'd be placed under house arrest by his elder brother. That had been another nail in the coffin of his affinity towards other humans. Expectant that someone from school would ask after him, he had waited the two weeks with a faint, flickering hope.

Needless to say, that hope had been shattered when not a single classmate had even bothered to care. In the end, it was his teacher who'd tracked his missed assignments and brought them by the house for him. The event left him even more angry, more bitter at his absentee brother and the people who'd dared call him 'friend'.

And then, he turned fifteen.

* * *

The door to the waiting room burst open and Sasuke bolted upright. He rubbed his gritty eyes with overly-dry hands and breathed deeply. Apparently, he'd blacked out after the doctor had left. The fluorescent lights burned his eyes and he pressed a hand over the bridge of his nose.

"...Sasuke..." A timid voice spoke from the doorway. Oh, right... someone had entered the room. He looked up—and went still. Hinata stood near the door. Her face was flushed and her hair messy, as if she'd been running. She was staring at him, concerned. "Sasuke, I heard about Itachi..." Her voice was little more than a whisper.

He didn't know what to think. It was all too much. An overwhelming sequence of events over a month that had reached a tragic climax in what would almost certainly be the death of his last close family member. How on Earth had he'd made it this far?

After all... everything about him was a lie.

Sasuke Uchiha was not calm, cool, or collected. No, that was a shadow that took his place to keep him from breaking apart into thousands of little pieces. The real Sasuke was buried deep inside, locked in that chest in the basement of his mind, hiding from reality. The reality that he was a wretched little mass of trauma with no friends, that he had been overly dependent on his older brother for most of his life, the reality that said older brother had been sick for so much longer than he wanted to acknowledge... and that a small part at the back of his mind had always known.

The reality that he could never be close to someone again, because he'd already given his whole trust to someone before and paid a terrible price for it. He'd already been given that chance and he'd blown it on the one person who was responsible for the death of his parents... like a fool.

The chest blew open, unleashing the truth.

All those years ago, Itachi had saved his life.

And now, he couldn't save Itachi's.

Hinata was on him before the first strangled cry could tear its way from his throat, wrapping him in her arms and cooing soothing, nonsensical words that aimed to cease his anguish. He fell against her chest, writhing like a screaming toddler. Her tears soaked the top of his head when she pressed her cheek against it.

"It's going to be okay... It's going to be okay..."

In Hinata Hyuuga's arms, Sasuke Uchiha came undone.

* * *

 **Bah, I lied. You guys mean too much to me to ignore even the smallest review. I was very rash and foolish.**

 _Danish78: I'm glad Sasuke's 'confrontation' with Ino and Sakura went over well. I was nervous about it seeming unnatural. But yes, Sakura is working on her own issues behind the scenes._

 _Anon: Yes, he is... our poor Itachi!_

 _DAngel7: Wow! I won't say much but your review is perceptive regarding the plot. ^^_

 _onlyluna: Thanks for reviewing! Itachi is in my careful hands and I promise nothing unnecessary will happen._

 _Guest 1: I'm suffering too, believe me ;_; My partner laughed at me because, while falling asleep, I randomly mumbled "I'm worried about him" in regards to Itachi lol_

 _Guest 2: It's important to remember that this story's perspective is extremely subjective, being only what Sasuke experiences for himself. While in his mind Sakura was never there for him, in hers she was, and in this story she only confessed twice and for the most part was fairly passive in her pursuing of him. In the end, they are both flawed people with narrow perspectives. Also, Sasuke meeting Sakura on her level was less about being kind and doing something for her than it was about Sasuke becoming a more well-rounded person with the ability to empathize with others, even if they aren't in the right. It helped him grow more than it 'rewarded' Sakura, I guess. I'm sorry if I didn't make this clear in my writing, and I hope I get better with this in the future._

 _noodlehaus: I know, I adore Naruto; he's such a sweetie. It's true that Sakura's change is a bit sudden, and I couldn't really find a smooth way to ease it in without changing the POV, but as I said to Danish78, she's working on it in her own 'story'. I've been considering maybe doing a companion to this story which features other perspectives, but who knows? Glad to have a name to put to some of the most funny, heartwarming reviews I've gotten!_

 _d0wn-t0-mars: Agreed, every time 'strong' male characters cry in media I'm a wreck, haha._

 _Saki-Hime: I gave him a little bit of suffering, but I think he'll pull through ;)_

 _rcr: I'm glad to hear it! Thank you for reviewing :)_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sasuke woke with his head resting in Hinata's lap. They were still on the floor, with Hinata's back pressed against the row of chairs and him splayed out beside her. The lights were off. He turned gritty, raw eyes towards her face to see that she was asleep. Feeling him shift, however, her nose wrinkled cutely as she came to. Seeing his dark eyes glittering the dimness, she tensed.

"Sasuke, you're awake."

He looked away again, staring out across the floor. A strained feeling lingered between them and he wondered if she would bring up his avoidance of her... or if he should. When she didn't say more, he decided it could wait for a more opportune time. "Yeah... Sorry," he murmured. Hinata's body jostled as she shook her head side to side.

"Don't apologize. It's a very scary situation."

He exhaled harshly to dispel the tightness in his throat, "Yeah, well... It's not really your responsibility." The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the silence as several minutes passed. Eventually, Sasuke rolled again, peering up at Hinata over his shoulder. "How'd you hear, anyway?" He couldn't be sure, but for a moment it seemed like Hinata's cheeks darkened.

"I'd just gotten to the park where the others were... They all looked distraught, so I asked them what happened and Sakura told me that you'd rushed over here with Naruto after receiving word that Itachi was in the ER. She said you seemed very upset..." Hinata trailed off awkwardly. A small part of Sasuke's spirits sank deeper, listening to her wording.

 _She probably came to see Naruto..._

"Has the doctor come by again?" He sat up, rolling his shoulders and angling to sit side-by-side with her. She took the opportunity to rub the sleep from her eyes with the palm of a hand and sighed.

"Not yet."

Conveniently, it was at that moment that Doctor Raikochu knocked and entered. Upon seeing the two disheveled and very weary-looking young adults after turning on the lights, he bowed. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have information about your brother's condition." Sasuke winced as he got to his feet, feeling the stiffness in his joints from sleeping on the hard, tile floor. He made a motion signaling the doctor to continue. Straightening up, Raikochu dipped his head. "Well, I have good news and bad news. We've done some scans and it would appear that your brother does _not—_ in fact—have lung cancer."

Sasuke could have cried, had he been hydrated enough. Instead, he brought a white-knuckled fist to his mouth and choked back a shaky breath. The relief was short-lived, however, as the doctor's face grew solemn.

"Unfortunately, it would appear... His lungs are riddled with benign tumors," he said. What few rays of sun that had peeked over the dark horizon of Sasuke's countenance were shuttered. Raikochu lifted the tablet he held at his side and dragged a finger over the screen. "Earlier, I received a fax from another hospital. It would seem your brother had been receiving care regarding the tumors there for upwards of a year now, but recently he'd started canceling and avoiding appointments. From what I gather," he paused, glancing up at Sasuke's rigid form, "he was due to have surgery, but kept putting it off for some reason."

"Oh, goodness," Hinata whispered breathlessly from the corner. Somewhere in the clear part of his mind, Sasuke echoed her sentiments.

What had Itachi been _thinking_? Had he been at all?

Raikochu straightened his jacket and met Sasuke's eyes firmly, "That's actually what I'm here to speak with you about. Right now, your brother requires immediate surgery. Without the operation, he will continue to bleed internally, quite quickly. You are listed as his emergency contact; without your signature we cannot operate." He produced a stylus from his coat pocket and offered both it and the tablet to Sasuke. The screen was illuminated with digital paperwork describing the legal procedures at the hospital and whether or not Sasuke consented to the surgery. Feeling the weight of the situation settling over his shoulders again, he blinked blearily at the screen.

Seeing his hesitation, Raikochu said, "If we don't operate, he _will_ die."

Sasuke scrawled his signature along the bottom of the screen and handed the items back to the doctor. He settled an even stare on him. "Please... Save my brother." Raikochu nodded curtly and—tucking the stylus back into his coat—ghosted from the room, leaving Sasuke and Hinata alone once more.

After a few minutes passed and Sasuke had not moved from his stiff position near the door, Hinata placed a cautious hand on his arm. "Sasuke?" He trembled beneath her touch. Feeling as though his legs would collapse, and not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Hinata again, he quickly retreated to one of the chairs and melted into it. Hinata followed him, moving timidly like a deer. She sank down in the seat next to him and let out an unsteady exhale. He was aware of her sneaking glances at him. She radiated an aura of curiosity—probably hoping that he would talk to her about what was happening but too nervous to press him.

He was grateful for that; he wasn't sure if he could speak quite yet. The faint sound of a gurgle seemed to echo from a distance. He blinked. Hinata brushed her hand over his shoulder and stood. He looked up at her numbly and she offered him a wan smile.

"You probably haven't eaten for hours," she said softly. "I'll go buy us something. Please, try not to worry and wait here." After she had gone, Sasuke closed his eyes against the buzzing fluorescents. To dispel the cloying feelings of distress which were already creeping up his skin, he turned his thoughts to his relationship with Hinata.

While his temptation led him to focus on _her_ feelings, he knew it would be healthier and more productive to organize his own. Obviously she wasn't opposed to being close with him, despite their lapse in time spent with one another.

But how did _he_ feel?

He'd held strong, he thought. He'd wanted to push forward and work to prove that he was serious about her, but then _this_ happened and now... Feeling the shadows of the past grasping at the outskirts of his memory like the souls of the river Styx had him second-guessing himself. The vulnerability required to be in a real _relationship_ with someone... It might be more than he wanted. Itachi was his anchor and without him Sasuke wouldn't be able to stand the walk over the shaky territory that would come with intimacy.

Maybe it was better... if they just remained friends.

The creak of the door opening jolted him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Hinata. A plastic bag was hooked on her wrist and she was holding two paper coffee cups. Seeing his expectant look, her lips quirked sheepishly. "Sorry. I know you don't like sweets, but all the shop on this floor had was muffins." She set the food down on a coffee table and then laid her jacket out on the floor. Sinking down onto her knees, she beckoned at Sasuke and bobbed her head encouragingly. "Will you sit with me?"

He followed her lead, sitting sideways on top of her jacket with the muffins and coffee between them. She brought one of the muffins to her mouth, taking a delicate bite and seeming like she was intently focused on pretending they weren't in a hospital. Sasuke took a sip from one of the coffees. The heat of the drink spread over his hollow chest, blowing sparks into the fading fire of his consciousness. After they'd eaten in silence, Hinata began to pull at a loose thread on her sleeve, eyes darting to Sasuke every few minutes. Finally, she spoke.

"If... If you want to talk about it..."

"I wouldn't know where to begin," Sasuke replied. She flinched at the coldness in his voice and he regretted snapping at her. He tugged a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time that day and exhaled raggedly. "No, sorry... I just..." He closed his eyes. "I'm remembering a lot of things I don't want to think about right now."

Hinata cocked her head. "I-I know you say you don't want to think about it, but... maybe it's so apparent in your mind because something's trying to get your attention?"

"That would be too simple, don't you think?" Despite the grim situation, Sasuke smirked. Hinata dipped her head, embarrassed.

"You're probably right."

"But," Sasuke blurted, throwing a dismissive gesture into the air, "what the heck." He took another trembling sip of coffee. "I could use the distraction from... from..." He trailed off, not quite believing that Itachi was only rooms away, getting ready to be operated on. Would the procedure work? Would Itachi manage to recover? Why had he let the tumors get so bad? Sasuke pulled at the top of a poppy seed muffin and pressed a piece into his mouth, not quite tasting it as he allowed the cold memories of his long-ignored past wash over him.

"It's okay, Sasuke," Hinata whispered. "You can take your time." Nodding at her gentle encouragement, he took several deep, steadying breaths. Moments passed in silence and then he spoke.

"When I was seven, my parents died in a car crash while they were leaving a company function." His eyes flicked over to Hinata's face for just an instant, gauging her reaction. Her face had gone unreadable, with only a minute crease between her dark brows giving away the depth of her thoughts. He continued, "Since Itachi was the heir, he was taken to be trained whenever he wasn't in school and... we grew apart because of that."

"R-really?" Hinata's eyelids fluttered. "But... you both seem inseparable now..."

"Well, that came..." Sasuke felt his heartbeat stutter, longing for good news regarding Itachi's condition. "...that came after some time... and a lot of mistakes on _both_ our parts."

"What kind of mistakes?"

"Well..."

* * *

Having turned fifteen, Sasuke was considered old enough to come and go from Sharingan Corp's headquarters as he pleased. With Itachi rarely deeming him worthy of attention, Sasuke began to formulate a plan to uncover the truth of his parents' demise. With all the whispers, dark looks, hastily-shut doors and that crushing _silence_ which hung over the Uchiha family district, he _knew_ there was more to the story than a simple accident caused by rain.

The innocent side of him just couldn't bear to think that fate would be so cruel to him, but those frantic assumptions were pushed aside and ignored—the first blossoms of a bad habit that would affect him for many years to come.

It was the first year of high school and he was feeling confident in his ability to take care of his own problems. It had been almost a decade since the accident and Itachi's subsequent removal from his life and he'd been nursing a bitter, cynical sort of self-assuredness for quite some time. With that confidence at the forefront of his mind, he boldly strode into the lobby of the company's headquarters one day after school. He still remembered the click of his school shoes against the marble floors, the way the light from the modern chandeliers illuminated the dark wood walls and brassy accents with an arrogant, ominous light. Most of all, he remembered feeling invincible. It was that warped perception of himself that would inevitably cause the calamity that later befell the Uchiha brothers.

He didn't find anything the first time he went. A lingering nervousness remained draped over his shoulders like a doomed shawl—a part of him that feared Itachi would interfere with his amateur investigation. The receptionist had been open enough and allowed him to roam the premises with a guard, but he hadn't gained entry to any of the upper floors.

 _"Not without an appointment, even for you, young master."_

Feeling tense, he'd returned again... and again... and again... for two weeks. Finally, word of his hovering behavior made its rounds within Sharingan Corp and it was then that Sasuke was faced with the first clue to the truth of it all.

 _"My, my! You must be Sasuke, the younger of the two."_

A tall, familiar figure with long dark hair and a curling, coy smile.

 _"Who are you?"_

 _"I'm one of your brother's closest advisors. My name is Orochimaru."_

* * *

Sasuke watched as Hinata paled. "You recognize the name."

She swallowed thickly. "I've not spent much time with the business side of my family... but anyone in the upper class would remember the scandal."

His lips parted in a rueful smile. "But do they remember the details?"

* * *

Orochimaru... Sasuke had recognized him as one of the men who'd dragged Itachi away to learn his responsibilities as the new CEO. It had been eight years, but somehow he hadn't aged a bit. Inky hair was still pulled back in a low, professional ponytail, amber eyes still glittering with a secretive delight, smile still cloying and unsettling.

Sasuke hadn't trusted him.

 _"What do you want?"_

 _"Sasuke. You know what they're saying about your parents, don't you?"_ Orochimaru had lifted a slender hand to the side of his face, brushing fingertips against the loose strands of hair there. _"That's why you're here, I bet. Come to find out the truth? How very brave."_ There was a laughter in his voice, though it was subtle enough to be brushed off as simply an odd intonation. Sasuke had felt like he was being mocked.

 _"What would you know?"_ He'd hissed his rhetorical question and spun on his heel, hoping to gain access to offices on the upper floors that might hold paperwork or other evidence for once. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to respond at all, let alone respond well.

 _"I know that your brother isn't as innocent as he seems."_

Sasuke had frozen, looking over his shoulder as beads of cold sweat had broken across his lower back. _"W-what?"_

 _"I was very close to your father, Fugaku. Some might say I'm 'practically family'."_ Orochimaru's smile had faded as he looked away. _"Don't tell me you never noticed how Itachi never quite got along with your father?"_

* * *

Sasuke released a strained exhale. He felt the tenseness in his shoulders twitch and the way his heart was taking beats and putting them where they didn't belong. The buzzing of lights tickled his ears like grasping hands, begging to pull him into a dark, cold place.

"Wait," Hinata murmured. "But Orochimaru... he tried to..."

"Yes," Sasuke stated curtly. "He did... It was just the first in a long line of lies that he told me." Sasuke grit his teeth. "I was so stupid."

* * *

Orochimaru was charismatic. He knew how to charm people with smooth words and bold actions. Later, Sasuke would learn that from the great amount of time spent in his presence, Itachi had picked up on some of the more suave tactics: the perfect grace of movement, the unyielding poker face, and the way he hid triumphant smirks behind whatever object was nearest. In the hunt for dark secrets, Orochimaru was an invaluable ally... or so fifteen-year-old Sasuke had thought. With an employee's ID card, Sasuke had access to the upper floor offices and any private room he desired. While several months of searching for a lead would leave him empty handed, the tidbits of information Orochimaru would slip him only served to feed the blaze of his thirst for knowledge and revenge.

 _"I heard whispers that said it was the mayor himself who ordered it."_

 _"It would seem that one of your cousins died around the same time as well... These documents state that he met with the city council shortly before his death. Isn't that suspicious?"_

 _"Sasuke... You haven't seen much of your brother lately, have you? He doesn't have school anymore. There's no reason for him to not have time to spend with you."_

They were sitting in Orochimaru's office, the setting sun burning honey-gold through the full glass wall. Sasuke remembered the way Orochimaru's lips were quirked... he'd wished that he'd been clear-minded enough to be bothered by that, but he'd already been in too deep.

Orochimaru had given him everything he'd needed in that small window of his life. He'd been alone and brooding too long; Orochimaru indulged the distrustful thoughts of others while talking his way ever-closer to the deeper roots of Sasuke's rage through well-timed tips. The way he offered occasional but seemingly-perceptive praise about the traits that Sasuke was already proud of soothed Sasuke's fragile ego. The loneliness from being abandoned by his remaining family, left to face the harshness of school and the shallow, tight-lipped reverence offered from the rest of the Uchiha had created an abyss in Sasuke that was filled with a steady stream of strategic actions.

He needed nurturing... and the uncle-like role that Orochimaru slithered so easily into took root with a stranglehold on his heart.

The snake of a man earned Sasuke's trust too easily.

 _"Sasuke, I never told you why your brother demoted me, did I?"_

 _"No. Why did he?"_

 _"Because I knew what his plans for the future were"_

 _"Wouldn't he have just fired you, then?"_

Orochimaru had bared his teeth in an eerie grin. _"He's far too smart for that. 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. I know too much and I'd be too dangerous without a contract keeping me under his watchful eyes."_

Sasuke was nearing the end of his rope once more. He'd wanted answers and Orochimaru was always so vague. _"What exactly do you know? It's been months and you still haven't told me anything!"_

 _"Itachi Uchiha plans to take over the company to the fullest extent. He wants to take it in new, more... profitable directions. Why do you think he's abandoned you? He knew you would hold truer to your father's vision. You're nothing but an obstacle for him."_

* * *

Sasuke felt the empty paper cup crumple between his crushing fingers. A misplaced sense of guilt tugged his lips and he quickly set the cup down before pulling his hands together. He brushed one over the other and licked his lips.

"It all makes sense," he whispered.

"What does?"

Sasuke flinched, realizing he'd just said the thought aloud. He shook his head. "No... it's nothing."

* * *

Itachi had come home on one of his rare, early nights. He was only twenty at the time, but the deep creases below his eyes made him look so much older. His tie had been pulled wide around the neck and several strands had come loose from his hair tie. When he arrived at the house, he'd made his way to the kitchen, where Sasuke was attempting to throw together some kind of dinner for himself.

 _"Sasuke..."_

He'd turned to see Itachi sink against the wall. For a moment, his dark eyes had glistened with an unfathomable weariness. Sasuke had blinked and it was gone, leaving behind the guarded look he'd grown accustomed to.

 _"What do you want, Itachi?"_

 _"I heard that you've been spending a lot of time with Orochimaru."_

 _"Yeah, well... what do you care?"_

 _"There's a reason I pushed him away from his assisting position, Sasuke. Please trust me on that. You should spend more time with your friends."_

It was that careless comment that broke Sasuke, then. He'd thrown the dish he'd been washing into the sink, shattering it on the porcelain as he whirled around, eyes burning. _"Friends? I don't have any friends! If you actually cared about me you'd know that!"_

Itachi's brows had creased. He'd looked hurt. _"'Actually'... care about you?"_

 _"You've been like this ever since Mom and Dad died! You just want me out of the way..."_ Then, the horrible accusations had bubbled up, bursting from his mouth before he could stop himself. _"You want me out of the way just like you wanted for them! Everyone knows you never liked Dad! All you care about is money!"_ He hadn't realized he was crying. Through the blurriness of his tears, he'd seen Itachi's expression melt into a wounded bewilderment. After several moments had passed, Itachi only turned around and left. The motion had proven to Sasuke the 'truth' of Orochimaru's claims.

After the fight, the remnants of their already-shaky relationship had deteriorated into nothingness. More time passed and—with Orochimaru's help—Sasuke had believed he was closer than ever to discovering the truth. As far as he'd been concerned, Itachi was fully out of his life and Orochimaru was the only person he could trust. At times it seemed like Orochimaru was more family than any of the Uchiha had ever been.

So, believing that the documents necessary to reveal the truth were locked away in Itachi's office on the top floor of Sharingan Corp's headquarters, Sasuke 'forgot' to give Orochimaru back his ID at the end of the day. In the middle of the night, he managed to slip out of his window and catch a cab to the heart of the city where the company building lay. Once there, he rode the elevator in silence, feeling strange in the empty shell of the Uchiha empire. The last thing he'd been expecting was to see Orochimaru waiting in Itachi's office.

 _"Orochi... maru?"_

 _"You seem surprised, Sasuke. Surely, with all those brains in your head, you suspected something like this might happen?"_

He hadn't. _"Something... like what?"_

Orochimaru had laughed. It was a clipped, hollow sound. _"As if I wouldn't notice when my ID went missing. For all that you listen to me, you certainly felt I was oblivious enough to not see? Obviously,"_ he'd turned to perch a foot on the edge of Itachi's desk, _"I'm just as curious about the truth as you are. Shall we find out together?"_

A sick feeling had curled up in the base of Sasuke's stomach, but he'd pushed it aside and walked towards the person he'd given his whole trust to. As he was about to open the desk drawer, Orochimaru leering behind him, the door had slammed open.

 _"Sasuke! Stop!"_

 _"Itachi?"_ Sasuke's hand had frozen. An eerie feeling had begun to fill the room like fog. Itachi had been breathing heavily, like he'd been running. A file was clasped in one of his hands. Sasuke had expected Orochimaru to be shocked or irritated that they'd been caught but instead... he'd laughed... loudly.

 _"So you've known all along, Itachi."_ The name was said with an sickeningly-sweet, sing-song tone.

 _"Of course I have. Do you think I wouldn't be watching him when he's here, at least?"_

 _"You always were far too observant, Itachi."_

 _"What's going on?"_ Sasuke looked between them. A strange energy crackled in their gazes and he'd realized it was not the first time they'd argued about something meaningful.

 _"Sasuke,"_ Itachi had said, not taking his eyes off Orochimaru, _"I'll ask again for you to trust me. Orochimaru is not what he seems."_

The patronizing tone had lit Sasuke's wrath. _"Like I could ever trust you! I don't even know you anymore!"_

 _"Exactly."_ Orochimaru's face had split into a curling grin. _"How could he? You were after the CEO position all along, Itachi. Why should Sasuke trust someone who could conspire against his own parents?"_

 _"Is that what you've been telling him?"_

 _"Now, I don't remember what I said exactly... but let's ask him what he thinks. Hmm, Sasuke?"_

Two older men, dark-haired, guarded-eyed, and scheming. They'd pushed him back and forth like a pawn his entire life... and it had taken him that long to understand.

No one... not a single person had ever cared what _he_ thought.

He'd let out a grim laugh. _"What I think? What I think or what you told me to believe?!"_ He turned a glare on Orochimaru. _"You were the one who kept saying how suspicious it was that Itachi never had time for me anymore! You're the one who told me he wanted to take the company in another direction! WHAT ELSE COULD I BELIEVE?"_

 _"Sasuke,"_ Itachi had said, taking a step towards him, _"I'm sorry you felt I was pushing you away. After I learned the truth back then, I didn't want you to experience the politics of the company for yourself. Please listen to me."_

 _"So he says,"_ Orochimaru had chuckled. _"What a convenient excuse. A little too convenient, maybe?"_

Itachi shook his head. _"Sasuke, please believe me when I say I knew nothing about what happened with our parents!"_

 _"Then tell me the truth!"_

 _"Not now. First, step away from Orochimaru. I don't want you to get hurt."_

Laughter filled the air again, courtesy of Orochimaru. _"Hurt? What could I stand to gain from hurting him?"_

 _"I don't care to find out, so please, Sasuke. Come here."_

 _"No."_

Both Orochimaru and Itachi had frowned in confusion. _"What?"_

Sasuke shook his head. _"I can't believe any of this! I can't believe either of you!"_ He'd bolted, managing to shove past a startled Itachi. He'd been aware of them following him, shouting pleas in building desperation.

 _"Sasuke!"_

 _"Don't listen to him! Remember how he abandoned you? How he threw you away like trash?"_

 _"Sasuke, listen to me!"_

Somehow, he'd found himself on the roof. His head was throbbing, thoughts and feelings in disarray. Why had Itachi shown up? Why was Orochimaru there? Why did it seem like he'd just been used all along? The cold wind of a spring night had bitten into his cheeks, whipping his hair around. He'd pressed his hands against either side of his head in an attempt to still the tumultuous thoughts there. The metal door to the rooftop echoed from hitting the brick wall and Itachi and Orochimaru were behind him once more.

Sasuke remembered turning, gazing to one face and then the other and back again. All he'd ever wanted was someone to answer him seriously. All he'd ever needed was trust and someone to take care of him...

 _"Why does it always turn out this way?"_

 _"Sasuke,"_ Itachi had lifted his hands in surrender. _"You're too close to the edge."_

 _"I don't care! I want the truth!"_

 _"The truth, the truth,"_ Orochimaru had paced side to side, circling the Uchiha brothers like a predator facing his prey. _"Trust me, Sasuke. You already know the truth, don't you? The evidence is clear. Your brother left you behind, the city council killed your parents, and your entire family stood by and allowed it to happen. What else could it all mean?"_ Arms parted as if offering a hug, Orochimaru had tilted his head in mock gentleness. _"Come back to the office, Sasuke. Together, we can destroy Itachi and bring justice to your parents' deaths!"_

Grief had collapsed down on him, forcing him to look to the almost-unfamiliar shape of his brother. _"It's true then? You... you really planned to forget about me?"_

 _"Never, Sasuke. I just... wanted what was best for you. After... after Mom and Dad..."_ he'd stepped closer with each word, arms still raised to show he meant no harm. _"I was only twelve, Sasuke. I'm sorry I let it get this out of hand. The truth is... the city had nothing to do with it."_

Tremors wracked Sasuke's frame. _"W-what?"_

 _"It was an inside job... The company was responsible. I've been spending all this time trying to find who instigated it."_

 _"The company is run by family! You're... you're lying! Uchiha stand by Uchiha!"_

 _"It wasn't an Uchiha. It was him."_ Dark eyes had darted over to Orochimaru's slender frame, filled with a venomous look. _"Orochimaru has been vying for the position of CEO all along. He wanted to take control of Sharingan Corp."_

 _"He's lying, Sasuke. Trust your instincts."_ The faintest trace of fear had crept into Orochimaru's voice.

 _"I have proof."_ Itachi had held up the forgotten file in his hand. He'd opened it and begun reading a history of contacts made from Orochimaru's office. Traitors within the company, staff members hired from outside the Uchiha family. For a year they'd planned the murder of Fugaku and Mikoto, spreading rumors about the Uchiha planning a coup against the city, weakening the bonds between family. The road signs blocking the construction zone had been moved on purpose. A call had been made to the truck driver's company demanding he drive all the way through instead of sleeping. It had all been carefully orchestrated from an office not three rooms away from Fugaku's.

With each sentence, with each new detail revealed, the illness in Sasuke's stomach had twisted deeper, tentacles of mistrust curling around his heart and his mind.

Was there such a thing as truth?

He'd looked to Orochimaru, hoping that he'd made at least one good choice. Hoping that the only person he'd relied on to such a degree could counter Itachi's thorough evidence.

Instead, Orochimaru had smiled. It was a huge smile, all twisted lips and glittering white teeth. His amber eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. _"What a shame. I guess you caught me."_

It had been the final straw. The stress had broken Sasuke's mind like a hammer over porcelain. It had all gotten very foggy after that, but he distinctly remembered chuckling and Orochimaru's smooth voice explaining how he'd wished Itachi had just gone along with his great plan, how Sharingan Corp would be so much stronger with him at the helm. He remembered Orochimaru laughing, saying how delightfully gullible Sasuke had been to trust him so thoroughly.

He remembered screaming.

 _"I'm so sick of liars!"_

 _"Sasuke, you're going to fall!"_ Itachi had lunged, one pale hand flying out to try and grab his arm. Sasuke, in a fit of distress, slapped it away, stepping back just a bit too far.

* * *

"What..." Hinata gulped. She was leaning forward, hands grasping her jacket tightly. "What happened?"

Sasuke had his head in his hands. He could feel the wind whistling around him like it was happening all over again. "I fell. If you've ever seen the headquarters, you'd know that there is a glass window decal on either side of the building. Luckily, I managed to land on the maintenance floors of one of those decals. Not so luckily," he breathed as if it was painful to do so, "I had to fall through two panes of glass to get there."

"Oh my god..." Hinata clasped her hands over her mouth. "So... that's what happened... They said Orochimaru pushed you."

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "He may as well have. After that, it gets blurry. Itachi had called security on the way over and they managed to apprehend him. The next thing I knew, I was on a gurney in the hospital." He pointed in the direction of the reception desk. "She was working when I was brought in. Hearing her voice again..." He shivered. "It felt like I was about to be tied down again."

"Tied... tied down?"

"Oh," Sasuke said nonchalantly. He felt the tightness creep up his throat. It felt like he was a thousand miles away. Was he speaking at all? "Itachi had me committed after it all went down. Turns out I..." He was back, seeing the tears dotting Hinata's quivering eyelashes in first-person again. "I..." One of the tears streaked its way down her cheek and he felt the small threads that had been holding him together in a state of shock snap all over again. "I'm not okay..." Broken sobs crackled up from his chest and he leaned forward, rocking back and forth. "Itachi's the only reason I've gotten this far! I can't... I can't lose him!"

"Sasuke!" Hinata shoved the remains of their meal aside, yanking him into a crushing embrace. "Sasuke, it's okay. I think I... I understand you better, now. I'm so sorry." She rubbed soothing circles in his back.

"All this time, I've just been expecting him to be there forever! To take care of the company, to manage everything about the family... I never expected him to just _die_!"

"He's not going to die! The surgery is in progress right now!" Her arms tightened around him. "He's going to be _fine_ , Sasuke, I just know it!"

"I'm such a _mess_ ," Sasuke choked out. A hiccup threatened to escape, but he would not fall _that_ far. "What kind of grown man cries like a baby?"

"One who's been through a lot." Her fingers were in his hair, brushing through the strands gently. He felt his arms slip around her waist as he buried his face in her shoulder. After a minute passed, taking the panic attack with it, he breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry... I feel like you've been dragged into this whole, stupid, _thing_."

She pulled away and looked into his eyes shyly, "You apologize too much." His eyes widened at the familiar words and she suppressed a soft giggle. "You _don't_ bother me, Sasuke." Then, he felt _it_ again. Like the clouds parting to reveal a long-unseen warmth. Golden rays shining down on a deep, dark lake. Hinata's warmth kept the darkness away and it made him love her all the more.

A knock sounded at the door.

* * *

 **Sorry for missing last week, everyone. I hit a writer's block with this chapter, since it's so important to go deep without being melodramatic. It's a fine line to walk and I'm not even sure I succeeded. I also had a cat dropped into my life quite suddenly and I've been dealing with that as well. Not trying to make excuses, just wanting to explain. Thank you for your patience and sorry if I answer some older reviews on accident. I'm only human, haha.**

 _Guest 1: I'm glad you enjoyed the first couple chapters of the story! :)_

 _crystalblue19: I'm so happy you're loving the story, and that you like Sasuke repairing his friendships slowly. It's a hard road for him._

 _Anon: It's not that Itachi never went before, it's just that he's an enigmatic, procrastinating dork, hehe._

 _MrsJackson101: Sorry I updated kind of slow! Hopefully it won't happen again. I also don't really care for SasuSaku, but I don't mind if other people ship it._

 _mili: Yeah, somehow Sasuke brings out the sadist in me. I guess because he keeps such a cool facade on for most of canon, I want to see him crack open and expose all his feelings openly. Thank you for saying my writing is amazing! I'm happy you like the story._

 _Danish78: Thank you! ^^_

 _Guest 2: Thank you! I'm glad :)_

 _onlyluna: Oh, some Naruto attention! Oddly, though he doesn't feature a lot in this story, he's been one of my favorites to write. Naruto's such a good guy._

 _Guest 3: I'm glad you loved it even though it was sad, heh._

 _Giada Luna: Don't worry about being behind, there's no obligations to rush :) I'm so happy Sasuke's conversation with Sakura went well! I admit that I was nervous about it. I didn't want it to seem rushed or too easy/happy. Seems like it came across how I wanted it to._

 _nameless: Thank you so much! Itachi's condition will be revealed in the next chapter for sure :)_

 _Guest 4: Thank you, that's very comforting. My Sasuke is a bit different from how most write him, and it does feel strange sometimes. I hope you continue to enjoy the story._

 _Giada Lune (part 2!): I can't say that I've experienced many toddlers and they sound frightening, haha. Your review made me all warm and fuzzy. As a writer, it always feels nice to have people react to some of the more flowery imagery in one's work._

 _DAngel7: Yeah, I started feeling bad because these last several chapters have been pretty heavy and dark. We're finally out of the woods now though, I think, so we'll be on to brighter things in the next part! Onward to fluff and cute moments!_

 _Saki-Hime: Thank you for reviewing! :D_

 _hime23: Wow, I feel so blessed that I managed to affect a person so strongly. Thank you so much for reviewing!_

 _crystalblue19 (part 2): We must have faith that Itachi can make it! I believe in him! ;)_

 _noodlehaus: Hope this chapter answered your questions! Thank you for another lovely review._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

They managed to look more presentable than the first time, at least. Hinata pulled away from Sasuke, scrambling to clean up her coat and the rest of their food. Sasuke pressed his palms to his eyes, hoping he didn't look as much a mess as he felt. The door creaked open, revealing a woman in scrubs, a tablet tucked under her arm.

"Sasuke Uchiha?" She glanced between them, eyes sober.

"That's me," Sasuke said.

The woman bowed briefly. "I'm here to inform you that your brother's surgery is complete. He's in the recovery room now, and we'll be able to allow visitors shortly."

Sasuke felt as if the floor dropped away below him. His stomach clenched uncomfortably. The prickling warmth of relief soaked through him in tentative waves. Itachi was alive! He'd made it! Sasuke's gaze flicked past the nurse's shoulder for an instant, catching the gentle 'I told you so' look in Hinata's eyes.

The nurse flipped the cover on her tablet open, swiping along the screen. "Let's see here... His lungs were in bad shape, absolutely filled with benign tumors. There aren't many conclusions as to why these occur, but stress can often be a factor, as well as maybe a lengthy illness sustained in the past. Usually they are treated or removed early on, but not always." She swiped more, fingers darting over the device. "Full recovery will take some time, probably around three months. Under no circumstances should he exert himself more than the level of climbing stairs during this time. I'm setting you up with some antibiotics to make sure nothing gets infected, as well as some pain-killers." She pulled a folder from the tablet cover and handed it to Sasuke. "This has all the information you'll be needing. I'll be back to bring you into the recovery room when he wakes up."

Sasuke hazily accepted the folder before the woman spun on her heel, disappearing into the hall. He flipped it open, absently skimming along the seemingly-endless paragraphs that filled the pages with medical jargon. Suddenly, Hinata smacked his arm playfully.

"Sasuke!"

He jumped, looking at her with wide eyes. His breath caught at the radiant smile she was giving him. He was so stunned he almost didn't react when she pulled him into a crushing hug, her arms twisting up and around his neck. Gingerly laying one of his hands on her back, one on her waist, he allowed the full wash of his relief to soak through him.

"He's all right, Sasuke. Itachi's alive. I told you he'd be fine!" She squeezed Sasuke tighter for a moment before abruptly pulling away. Her face was pink and she stammered out, "O-oh, I'm sorry... I was just so... so relieved." She giggled, looking up at him from beneath the edge of her fringe. Sasuke's heart gave a faint lurch at the warmth of her expression. Part of him wanted to confess again—properly this time—and shout about how much she meant to him. How much it mattered that she had stayed even when the full crashing waves of his past came rushing out, how only Naruto had ever been that patient with him before and it felt entirely different when she held him and whispered soothing sentiments.

However...

Itachi had been right... and re-examining his history with deep relationships had shaken what little faith he had that he might be able to _be_ with Hinata. Not to mention, Itachi needed him now... and Hinata still loved Naruto.

Sasuke tamped the feelings down, crushing the fragile, glowing sparks beneath a regretful foot. Maybe someday he'd tell her again, far in the future. Maybe someday he'd be a little braver, but today he was weak. Today he was vulnerable. He couldn't handle a second rejection on top of the stress he'd already endured.

So they'd remain friends.

* * *

About an hour later, the nurse returned and told them to follow her. Sasuke ignored the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, the antiseptic stink of the halls, the clicking of the nurse's shoes on the tile floor. When he began to shudder against the pressure of the past, Hinata reached over and grabbed his hand, yanking him back into the present. Her kind smile radiated a grounding warmth and, seeing it, Sasuke fleetingly concluded that she'd been named appropriately.

The nurse stopped in front of a door and turned to them. "We're here. He may still be a little hazy, but you can try talking to him." She opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Sasuke swallowed any lingering fear and stepped over the threshold.

It is a frequent side effect of being raised by a single person that, to the child, that person becomes something of a divine being. A superhero, a god, an omnipotent, unyielding beacon of safety and stability. Sasuke had grown for many years without the guiding hand of any figure aside from the black-suited, cold-eyed, distant family members that cared for him until he was a teenager. After the incident with Orochimaru, Itachi had been guilt-ridden. He'd shoved aside his work responsibilities, delegated them efficiently so he could spend time repairing the precious bond that had been broken between he and his little brother. He lay awake at night, plagued by the echoes of Sasuke's frantic, begging screams to be released from the hospital. It was necessary, he'd remind himself. He wasn't able to give Sasuke the care he needed.

But then Sasuke _had_ been released. He'd come home to the Uchiha mansion, wary of the dark halls and the too-large windows. Sometimes he'd slip away from the present, either falling asleep or collapsing in whatever position he was at the time, consumed by lingering paranoia.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder, the doctors had told Itachi. Knowing that he'd been inadvertently responsible for the pain his little brother would now always suffer, he'd vowed to himself to do whatever it took to _fix it_.

His first peace offering was to move them away from the Uchiha district. The company owned an apartment complex in the heart of the city. Itachi had wondered if a penthouse was an appropriate solution, due to its similarity in height to the building Sasuke had fallen from, but there were no large windows. The apartment was just spacious enough for two people. It had a tranquilizing, homey atmopshere. It was the perfect foundation to start again, away from 'clan' politics and the distractions of work. Here, Itachi had decided, they could begin to rebuild the broken bond.

If he was honest with himself, Itachi would admit that he spoiled Sasuke a little after that. He kept a close eye on all his comings and goings, his life at school, who he spoke to, where he spent his time. He made sure to come home on a clockwork schedule and actually be _present_ in Sasuke's life. He hadn't been expecting Sasuke to slip into such a dependent way of existence.

Sasuke had nearly detached himself from reality entirely. Itachi became the sun that he orbited around, sitting comfortably knowing that his older brother would always be there to hold him up in times of weakness. He did his best to sever what ties he had with schoolmates and became reclusive. Itachi was the great benefactor—the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-capable rock. Sasuke didn't need anyone else if this superhuman existed.

So seeing Itachi tucked into a hospital bed, pale as the white sheets he was wrapped in, shook Sasuke's perception of the world.

Itachi was just a human, after all.

His black hair looked flat and lifeless, haphazardly tied out of the way for the surgery. The pale hospital gown he was clothed in served only to make him appear more sickly, bringing out the yellow-green tints in his skin. Dark circles were settled under his eyes, blue-grey crescents so deeply pressed under his closed eyes that the effect was nearly osseous—pale skin mirroring the visage of a skull.

Sasuke stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at his brother with a morbid fascination, an unwavering, nigh-fearful stare.

"Sasuke?" Hinata prodded softly. "Would you like to be alone with him?

"Sure," Sasuke said. Hinata nodded and stepped into the hall. The _click_ of the door faded, leaving only the quiet, mechanical whirring of the monitors in the room for noise. Lifting his hands to brush against the bed railing softly, Sasuke knit his brows as he considered Itachi further.

Sasuke had always felt so small in Itachi's presence, but looking at him now, he realized they were not only the same height, but that Itachi was more slender in some ways. His wrists were delicate, branching out into narrow hands with spidery fingers. The blankets tightly encasing his body barely rose from the bed in order to do so, and Itachi's torso was narrow from shoulder to hip. Overall, he looked insubstantial. The idea made Sasuke feel strange.

Itachi's eyes opened. Sasuke held his breath, staring down into Itachi's black irises with a nervous energy.

"I'm sorry," Itachi whispered. His voice was raw and wheezing, as though it took all his strength to speak and was immensely painful to do so. Sasuke didn't want to feel as upset as he was, but it was all too much, too alien.

" _What_ were you _thinking,_ " he hissed, biting out the words like bullets. He narrowed his eyes at Itachi's vacant face, a silent plea to make sense of everything. "Were you _trying_ to kill yourself? What kind of idiot doesn't get treated for something so inconsequential?" Sasuke's hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, trembling at his sides. "What could've possessed you to _do_ this?" Angry tears stung at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

Itachi stared at him evenly, allowing the silence to drag on until tense and heavy. The faint _beep_ of the monitor ticked in time with his chest rising and falling. The IV dripped pain medicine through its transparent tube. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, but Sasuke was here, begging for answers.

Unfortunately, he didn't have any.

Sasuke took several deep breaths to even his tone. "What made you so busy that you couldn't even spare the time to have a single surgery? Or even _tell me_ that there was a problem? What if you had died? What do you think that would've done to me? Do you think I'm capable of running the company? Think of everyone that would've been affected!" Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger, exhaling an exaggerated sigh to voice his displeasure. Finally, he fixed Itachi in a withering glare. "So, answer me... and the reason had better be good."

Oddly, Itachi _blushed_.

Sasuke frowned, disquieted by the uncharacteristic action. "W...wha..."

"Funnily enough," despite the wheezing, Itachi's usual playful condescension remained, "I... was procrastinating." Seeing Sasuke begin to splutter with rage, he explained, "I don't like hospitals either, you know. My experiences haven't exactly been encouraging, what with having my parents both die while I was in a hospital... and having my baby brother be strapped to a gurney in front of me, bleeding and screaming about how I'd lied to him."

At that, Sasuke's wrath went out like a candle.

 _Crap..._ In a very Naruto-esque move, he rubbed the back of his neck, humbled. "Sorry... I was just... so worried about you."

"Understandably so," Itachi murmured. "I'm the one who _should_ be sorry. Although... I suppose I can't always be the mature one." Sasuke mumbled his agreement and a few minutes passes in quiet. When Sasuke was beginning to think Itachi had drifted off again, Itachi cleared his throat weakly. "Was there someone with you when you came in? Was it Naruto?"

"No, uh... It was Hinata, actually," Sasuke replied. He shifted at the unnerving glitter in Itachi's drowsy eyes.

"Is that so..." Itachi trailed off, seemingly looking past Sasuke into oblivion. He blinked and smirked faintly. "She's a good person to have around for you, it seems. I'm very glad."

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah, well..." He noticed Itachi's eyelids drooping. "Anyway, it looks like you need some more sleep, so I'm gonna walk Hinata home and then I'll be back to check on you again."

"Very well," Itachi whispered as he slowly succumbed to sleep.

* * *

Now that the adrenaline and stress about Itachi's health scare had passed, Sasuke could sense a sort of tension lingering between Hinata and himself. Since they'd left the hospital, she'd gotten quiet, only stuttering out awkward, vague answers to whatever he said to her. He knew it had to do with their falling out in the summer and that if he ever wanted her to trust him again he'd have to talk about it... but he was so tired it was hard to start.

She kept sneaking glances at him out of the corner of her eye. When he'd look intently at her to get her to say something, she'd make a quiet noise and look away, cheeks pink. When they were halfway back to her apartment, he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Listen," he said gruffly, "I'm sorry about avoiding you for all those weeks. It was stupid."

At last, she looked at him full-on. "O-oh... I thought... I thought I'd been avoiding _you_. I was trying to think of how to apologize just now."

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

Hinata tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking away shyly. "It was just... You teased me at the beach... and I hadn't been expecting it... It was really immature of me. I thought I'd overreacted and that's why you'd left. So... so I'd figured you'd be mad at me. I'm sorry." She bowed nigh-imperceptibly. Sasuke gaped at her for a few bewildered moments before a chortle bubbled up from his chest.

 _Hinata... self-conscious, ridiculous Hinata..._

He laughed loudly, throwing his head back. Hinata turned bright red and started chewing on her sleeve.

"W-why are you laughing? Did I say something funny?"

He ruffled her hair, smiling down at her. "No. I just feel so much better now, that's all." Her eyes went wide; it was her turn to gape at him. After he pulled his hand away from her head, she reached up, touching the mussed hair in awe. He kept walking as she stood there, frozen, several steps behind him.

"W... Sasuke?"

He turned, hair swaying with the movement, and fixed a warm smile on her. "What's up?"

A moment passed. A small, September breeze blew down the street, rustling the first fallen leaves of the season. Sasuke almost frowned as Hinata made a strange face. "Hinata?"

She shook her head. "N... No, it's nothing." Adding some skip to her step, she bounced up alongside him and they continued walking.

The tension was gone and it was like they'd never separated in the first place. The pace of their walk, the matching bob of their figures and the ease of their conversation flowed naturally again, like a summer river engorged with the new swell of glacial melt.

After their mutual apology, they caught up. They spoke of how Hinata had been managing without his tutoring, how Sasuke had been spending his time, how awful it was to be back in school instead of still on break. Sasuke talked about how he'd made up with his friends and Hinata beamed up at him in such a way to make his heart glow with a tingly heat.

When they finally reached the front path to Hinata's apartment building, Sasuke was loathe to part with her. It had been too long since he'd spent such easy time with anyone. He felt parched and she was a refreshing glass of cool water. They paused at the gated wall, Hinata toeing the ground and Sasuke trying to think of some excuse to make her stay.

"You should be getting back to Itachi, I imagine," Hinata said finally.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, knowing that she was right. "Will..." He trailed off.

"Yes?" Hinata tilted her head, looking up at him hopefully.

"Will you... Do you want to resume our tutoring sessions?"

She smiled, eyes creasing up. "Of course! I'd probably fail the class without you, if I'm being honest." They shared a chuckle before Hinata grew a bit more serious. "And... if I'm being honest..." She looked at the ground and a strange feeling rippled through Sasuke's stomach. She looked back up at him, "I missed you, Sasuke."

A shiver rolled up his spine and his throat constricted. "O-oh... Um..."

She suddenly turned and bolted for the door to her building, stopping to turn and call out to him shoulder, "Go on! I'm sure Itachi's going to be bored without you!"

Sasuke shook off the hazy feelings around the edge of his mind. "Right. I'm going now!"

"I'll see you Monday!"

"Yeah! Later."

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. If you follow me on Tumblr, you would've gotten the announcement where I said I wouldn't be updating regularly due to holidays busy-ness and other stuff. If not, you probably thought I died or something and I apologize for that. I do promise to have the whole story done by the end of the year, as the last chapter takes place on New Year's Eve and I'm all about that corny stuff. Hope this tides you over until the next update. It's a bit of a mix of fluff and plot for a couple chapters and then the BIG CLIMAX. Thanks for your patience and sticking with me.**

 _farahb: Thanks for reviewing! Most of your questions were rhetorical or answered in this chapter so I can't really say much, but you putting in the effort to review multiple times really warms my heart and is very encouraging. Thank you :D_

 _Guest 1: Aw, thank you for your glowing words! I'm glad Sasuke's past wasn't too overwrought and made sense; I was worried that it might be a bit heavy-handed for a mostly fluff story, but it seems like it worked. :)_

 _Switchlolly007: Yay I'm glad you liked it! They really are so cute together._

 _veevee: Thank you! I hope I manage to craft as lovely an ending for this story as it has been a journey._

 _DenHime: Your review was so sweet! It had me grinning from ear to ear! I hope you enjoy these last few chapters as much._

 _Hyo: I'm glad it was entertaining and I hope you continue enjoying my story!_

 _Giada Luna: I'm glad you caught Hinata taking Sasuke's words! It was a little detail for myself mostly, but it always feels nice to have the little things noticed. Happy to hear you're enjoying!_

 _crystalblue19: Yeah, Sasuke's kind of a disaster in the best way. He keeps trying to back off on his feelings but Hinata just keeps fluffing them up again, ha._

 _DAngel7: Thank you for your encouragement, it helped! Yeah, I felt that Sasuke's backstory might be a bit shocking/dark, but I think it was kind of necessary too. In the beginning I was just going to make him a little anxious, but then as he developed through the story I realize it was deeper than that, and I realized I had the perfect excuse to whomp on him a little with Orochimaru. Sorry if it was unnerving or distressing in any way, and I hope you continue reading/liking the rest._

 _Guest 2: Sorry it took so long. It's very flattering that you've been checking so frequently! I do promise I'm not abandoning this story. It's my most popular work and it's almost done; it'd be foolish to quit now. Hope you hang in there until the end and thank you for your patience!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The days grew shorter as winter approached; the dense leaves on Konoha's famous trees bursting and melting into fireworks of warmer hues. Oranges, golds, reds and bright yellows dotted the city like an autumnal needlepoint. Sasuke and Hinata slowly resumed their friendship. September gave way to October, with shorter days, crisper air and a more honey-toned light. A buzz of seasonal energy unfurled in Konoha—the first hints of the festivity that was sure to come.

Itachi was healing well with Sasuke's hawk-like surveillance. When he'd first returned home, he slept most of the time due to his pain medication, but soon he was awake again, arguing with Sasuke about whether or not doing paperwork from home was allowed on his health regimen. Sasuke made sure it wasn't. The company would do fine while it waited for the return of the CEO, in his opinion.

With Itachi home all the time, Sasuke and Hinata began to spend more time in the living room keeping him company. In a way, it was his gentle presence that helped ease the tension between them in the early days of getting 'reacquainted'. Soon, they were back to normal, teasing each other and chatting comfortably.

In Itachi's opinion, they were even closer than before... not that he'd say anything to Sasuke about it.

So summer came to a close, passing over drama to end in relief. Autumn was in Konoha at last, casting aside the green curtain of a fervent time to reveal what would most assuredly be strained feelings shifting below a frozen river of time.

* * *

Sasuke was doing his best not to pay mind to the gold halo of light in Hinata's hair from his position on the floor. He buried his nose deeper into his book, swallowing and hoping she'd finish up her assignment quickly. She shifted on his bed, twisting to change the position of her legs as she frowned down at the paper, pen in hand. The window behind her seemed ever-willing to defy him, illuminating her from behind with a nigh-heavenly outline. Sasuke huffed and turned a page. Why wasn't she more aware of herself? Asking to sit on his _bed_? The nerve.

He drew his shoulders up around his ears and pressed them down again, ignoring the thoughts buzzing like flies in his head. Her long hair, pooling down on his pillows... her pale skin contrasting with his dark bedding. A far away future where they're together and happy... and maybe there's a fami—no.

 _Nope. Just friends. Friends and we're good with that._

Sasuke sprang to his feet, setting his book down on his desk and stretching. Hinata jumped slightly at his action. She looked up at him and gave him a tight, concerned smile.

"Is everything okay? You've been sighing a lot today. You seem restless."

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck and pretended to peruse his bookshelf. "I'm fine, it's just..." he exhaled softly. "I'm just thinking about Itachi. He said he wants to have his weird friends over again and I'm not sure I can handle it."

Hinata giggled. "Oh? Are they a pretty rowdy bunch?" She set aside her notebook and watched him like she was waiting for a story. He had a hard time denying her when she made such a sweet expression at him.

"You... could say that," he said simply. She pouted and he chortled. "Well, all right..." Distracted by the turn of conversation, he relaxed again, sinking down onto the floor. "I guess... it was about a year after my accident. Itachi was still pretty guilty about the whole thing and he really felt like what we needed was a huge break from the family side of things. Being alone in that big house with no one but staff members wouldn't be good for my uh... condition... and Itachi wanted to have some more flexibility so he could keep an eye on me. He'd already put in years of effort for the company and he wanted to enjoy some of his youth, so he decided to go to college."

"And the company just let him do that?" Hinata asked, eyebrows high on her forehead.

Sasuke smirked. "As you've mentioned before, Itachi can be incredibly persuasive. Anyway, he started attending classes and then he'd come home and do his homework in the living room so I could get used to having him around. It was a nice buffer while we rebuilt our bond. Time passed and—as one does—he eventually met an upperclassman named 'Pain."

Hinata frowned. "'Pain'?"

Chuckling, Sasuke shook his head. "If you think his name is weird, you should see his face. Anyway, the guy was really charismatic. He had this whole operation set up across the campus; it was a network of students who had different specialties and they advertised like they were a legitimate thing. All they really were was group of people you could hire to accomplish difficult tasks. Sometimes they helped out organizing events, helped people study for huge exams... heck, I think they even had a couple members sign up for a research experiment for the science building. They were called the Akatsuki and no one ever really found out how the whole thing began. Naturally," Sasuke paused to gesture broadly in the direction of Itachi's room, "Itachi, being the genius weirdo he is, fell right into place with their little group and they've all been friends ever since. One of them even blew up the fireworks tent back at the _hanami_ festival, remember that?"

Hinata laughed. "Who could forget? It was when we first started to get to know each other better."

Something about that statement seemed odd for just a moment. Sasuke felt his brow begin to crease but shook it off. Instead, he leaned forward, looking Hinata in the face with a bright expression. "Hey, speaking of festivals! _Momijigari_ is coming up right?" Her smile became strained, but he didn't notice. "I know it's not quite as big with the upper class as _hanami_ , but I'm sure everyone will be getting together."

"I don't know Sasuke..."

Suddenly, Sasuke felt as if his jaw had been possessed, coming unhinged to jabber away on its own. "A-and if you don't want to hang out with anyone else, we could just go leaf spotting on our own. I'm not picky. Whatever you like."

"Sasuke."

He finally managed to clamp his mouth shut and bit his lip, doing his best to ignore the heat in his cheeks. Ever since he'd recounted the story of his past and fallen apart in Hinata's arms at the hospital, he'd started feeling like it was harder to keep his true emotions in check around her. He felt like a little kid again, willing to gush about whatever was on his mind the very second it popped up.

He wasn't a little kid though. This was the cold world of adults, and speaking too freely was more liable to get you into a tough situation than anywhere pleasant.

So he reigned in his babbling self and listened closely to Hinata's somber voice.

"Since I already spent _hanami_ and _tanabata_ with friends, my father says I have to come home for _momijigari_. I'm sorry."

It was a much smaller sting of rejection, akin to the bite of a mosquito. Sasuke concealed his disappointment and breathed out shakily. "Oh yeah? Well, at least you'll get to see your family, I guess, right?" He let out an awkward, shaky ghost of a laugh, pushing against his constrained chest.

Hinata seemed almost as unhappy as he was. She bowed her head and nodded regretfully. "Yeah..."

Desperate to keep some sense of stability in their conversation, Sasuke pressed on. "Where do they live anyway? Just in the upper class districts with the rest of the old families?"

She shook her head, still not looking at him. "N-no. Well, I mean, they do, but I'd be going to the vacation house. It's out in the middle of nowhere." She waved a hand around in an odd, dismissive gesture. "It's like this whole big, _thing_ they do every year—a week long family gathering. It's... kind of a pain, to be honest." She drew her knees to her chest and finally made eye contact with him, revealing her distress over the situation. His heart lurched at the sight of her watery eyes. Noticing his concern, she quickly brushed at them with the side of her hand. "I just don't want to be away from everyone for so long, that's all."

Before Sasuke could respond, a knock sounded at the door and a fragile-looking Itachi appeared around it. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but I couldn't help but overhear. Hinata," he gazed at her gently, "if you won't be spending time with us during the autumn leaf-viewing season, I hope you'll join us for a couple of my dinner parties in advance."

Sasuke wrinkled his nose. "Dinner parties? With who?"

Itachi smirked. "The Akatsuki, of course." Sasuke tossed his head back, letting out an exaggerated groan.

In stark contrast to his reaction, however, Hinata's face lit up. "I'd love to!"

* * *

It was the fateful Saturday: the day Sasuke would be forced to endure the majority of the Akatsuki for the length of an entire dinner. Worse, Hinata would be there, meaning that his older brother's friends would certainly—and ruthlessly—tease him for her presence. It was shaping up to be as rough as a war trench. He'd rather be subjected to one of Naruto's theater class monologues.

"Sasuke?" Hinata nudged his arm. They were standing in the elevator with the door propped open, waiting in the entryway to the Uchiha apartment. Hinata shyly tugged his sleeve. "Sasuke, are you worried about Itachi's friends? I'm sure it'll be all right."

He scoffed. "No it won't. Hinata, you don't know what these guys are like."

She smiled warmly. "I'm sure if your brother is friends with them, they must be nice." He grumbled incoherently and hunched his shoulders. Hinata nodded sharply and set off in a comical march, looking back to Sasuke and giggling. "Well, let's not keep them waiting, okay?" He reluctantly trailed after her—cursing her ceaseless encouragement—and they kicked their shoes off together before opening the door—where they were met with a cacophony of unrivaled proportion. Background music blared from the speakers in the living room, the sounds of cooking emanated from the kitchen, and a host of very strange-looking men sat around the dining room table in a sea of playing cards, glasses and beer bottles.

"Hey, it's little Sasu-chan!" Kisame roared from his seat when he caught sight of the pair in the doorway. The other Akatsuki members turned to gawk at the spectacle of Itachi's little brother. Sasori growled and jumped away from the table when Deidara knocked down a bottle in his flailing scramble to stand.

"Deidara, you idiot!"

Deidara ignored him in favor of jauntily sauntering over to Sasuke and Hinata. He eyed them appraisingly. "Itachi's brat bro managed to bring a girl home with him!" He bent at the hip and leaned too close to her face, causing her to flush brightly. "Hey, she's actually pretty cute, too."

"Deidara!" Sasori's brown eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. "Clean up your mess!"

Deidara sniffed haughtily. "Yeah, yeah! I'll get to it when I'm good and ready, hn!" He walked off again, disappearing into the kitchen.

"It's all right, Sasori, I've got it." Itachi brushed past Deidara on his way out with a dish towel and began sopping up the spilled drink. Hidan swallowed his mouthful of beer and spat irritably.

"Deidara, you clown, you're making a half-dead guy clean up after you. Even _I_ know better than that."

Itachi snapped the dish towel at him. "I resent that. Thanks to Sharingan Corp's staff's quick decision-making, I'm very much, one-hundred-percent alive, thank you. We can't _all_ have your unending font of health, Hidan." Gathering several empty bottles in his arms, he beckoned to Hinata and Sasuke. "Come in, come in! You're letting the heat out and the others would like to meet our dear friend Hinata." As if becoming aware of herself once more, Hinata quickly bowed to the table of men.

"I'm Hinata Hyuuga. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

After several uncomfortable beats, their raucous chattering began again.

"She's too good for you, Sasuke!" Hidan called after another hefty swig. He laughed uproariously and reached for a new bottle after slamming his empty one down. Kakuzu leaned away from him in disgust.

"Good thing we're not together, then!" Sasuke retorted. Hinata chuckled and patted him on the arm. She ventured forward to sit at the table, almost immediately getting swarmed with drink offers and questions.

"How much is your net worth?" Kakuzu asked flatly, cold eyes pursed in narrow, cat-like slits. Hinata blanched, bringing a thoughtful finger to her chin as she attempted to stammer out a quiet, bumbling answer. She was saved by Kisame leaning his massive form over the table. He chuckled wickedly, smiling one of his usual sharp smiles as he set a glass in front of Hinata and started pouring her a drink.

"How much did our dear, little Sasuke have to pay to get _you_ to spend time with him?"

"Now, now!" Itachi reappeared, holding a tray of fruit slices. "Saying it like that could be insulting for a girl. You should be more careful of that if you're looking to find a date." He set the tray down and passed out color-coded toothpicks.

"Speaking of lovebirds," Deidara also emerged from the kitchen, holding a glass of juice. "Where are ol' Pain and Konan, anyway?"

"They're off helping Nagato start up another one of his business ventures," Kisame said, reaching across to spear a pineapple chunk. "Something involving radio broadcasts and the like."

Deidara's lips split in a broad, devious grin. "I wonder if they'll be need publicity for that…. Maybe something flashy. Something… _explosive_ , hn."

Sasori rolled his eyes. "As if anyone would want to hire _you_ for publicity. Obviously they'd want a more long-lasting installment. Something that really speaks to _true_ artists, maybe with a touch of humanity…." He trailed off thoughtfully.

Deidara huffed irritably, "Yeah, like they'd want advertisement that looks like it crawled out of the uncanny valley itself."

They dissolved into bickering about the merits of 'true' art—whatever that was—so Sasuke quickly found a seat beside Hinata and hunkered down in it, hoping to be forgotten about. Hinata leaned close to him, sending his heartbeat fluttering, and smiled.

"I like them. They're all very unique," she whispered.

"If by 'unique' you mean crazy," Sasuke groused. She shrugged, laughing when Sasori pulled his wallet out, letting the picture sleeves unfurl to comedic lengths-all pictures of his puppet-like creations. He gestured at the tangle of images, keeping a sharp glare trained on Deidara.

"This is _true_ art, Deidara, not that an ignorant fool like you could see it if it hit him the face!"

"I actually _have_ been hit in the face by true art," Deidara shouted. He flipped his long bangs aside to reveal an eyepatch. "It was a bomb I designed and rigged myself!" His eye widened gleefully. "And it shined brighter than any of your creepy, dusty old sculptures ever could!"

Itachi stood up and smacked his cup against the table as though he was calling for order in a court. "All right, all right. You're both true artists. Now, we have to decide what we want for dinner before we all get too drunk to talk straight."

Sasuke's head darted up. "'We'? Itachi, alcohol is on the list of things you can't have yet!" At his exclamation, the Akatsuki all turned towards Itachi, letting out a collective, teasing "oooooh!" Itachi ignored their immature jesting and leaned back on his heels, resting one hand on his hip.

"Is that so...?" He pouted jokingly. "You would deprive a sick man of a night of fun with his friends?" Several pairs of eyes turned back to Sasuke, waiting to see his response. He wilted under the weighty surveillance. Even Hinata stared at him, head tilted cutely. He grit his teeth.

"Ugh… just one, then. No getting drunk until the doctor signs off on it." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back to grumble to himself. The Akatsuki cheered. Kisame slapped Itachi on the back as Itachi nodded with false solemnity. He held a hand out with the grace of a king, gesturing to Sasuke reverently.

"My magnanimous little brother, everyone."

A chorus of laughter rang out loudly, signaling the beginning of a long and uproarious night.

The weeks passed that way, with the Akatsuki coming over more and more frequently. With the reassuring presence of Hinata, Sasuke felt his brittle walls begin falling away like old rose petals. He grew more talkative over dinner, even going so far as to start joking with the others when they'd play cards. Of course, whenever he grew too bold, Kisame would cow him with a well-timed jab about his relationship with Hinata, and he'd quiet down with reddened ears.

It was in those days that he fell for her harder than ever. She meshed perfectly with his family. Yes, as loath he was to admit it, the Akatsuki _were_ an extension of his family through Itachi. A wild group of misfits who marched forward, shaping the world in broad strokes of their visionary goals, painting a glorious mural of the future. Somehow, Sasuke knew that if Hinata just crawled out from under the shadow of Naruto, she could blossom and begin adding her own brushstrokes to such a magnificent painting.

During one of those evenings of shared laughter, as Sasori was confronting Deidara over whether or not Deidara had been sneaking peeks at others' cards, Hinata caught Sasuke staring at her. She was exhaling the last of a giggle when their eyes met and locked in place. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to tear away. A part of him felt like he didn't need to be ashamed or secretive of his feelings, though he did his best to ignore that side of himself. Still… she had mooned over Naruto in this manner for over a decade-surely _he_ was afforded the same right?

She had held his gaze for what felt like an eternity, expression impassive. Finally, a scarlet flush bled from her hairline down her neck and she shrank away, cowering into the rim of her beer glass. Sasuke, embarrassed by _her_ embarrassment looked away awkwardly as well.

The moment was shattered by Deidara placing down his next card: a perfect counter to Sasori's previous move. Sasori roared in fury, leaping to his feet and-using all his might-flipping the table over. Cards, glasses and drinks went everywhere as the Akatsuki leapt clear of the wreckage. Sasori jabbed a finger in Deidara's face.

"Figures that you would be able to counter me when I'm sitting on the side of your good eye! All you'd have to do is lean over and see my hand, easy!"

Deidara laughed haughtily. "Oh-ho, my man Sasori. When will you accept the fact that I'm just better at cards than you?"

"I mean," Kakuzu had stepped in, "he's got a point, Deidara. You _are_ taller. All you'd have to do is look down."

Instead of incriminating Deidara, this detail only served to enrage Sasori further, sending him into a spiral of verbal wrath that lasted for an hour at least. They'd all laughed of course-it was just par for the course with Sasori.

With so many wonderful evenings, October passed with ease.

* * *

Sasuke breathed in the frosty air, lowering his scarf for just a moment to savor the feel of late October. He looked up into the bright, crystal sky, shielding his eyes from the cold sun as he studied the criss-crossed limbs of the trees above. The frost had come early this year, but still the dull orange leaves clung to the branches. He hoped Hinata was having luck leaf-viewing with her family, wherever they were.

His phone started ringing, so he yanked a glove off to answer it. "Hello?"

"S-Sasuke?" A shaky voice breathed on the other end.

"Hinata?" For a moment, he wondered if she had sensed him missing her. However, the tone of her voice was worrisome. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm fine, but…." There was loud clattering in the background and a series of shouts in various tones.

"But what?" Sasuke pressed. Was she really all right?

"I just am having a hard time!" The words rushed from Hinata in one short breath. "I'm hiding in a-where am I-a linen closet right now just to get some time to myself. Some of my distant cousins who are all around the horrid age of twelve tried to rope me into some kids' game earlier. They tried to put gum in my hair!"

Sasuke resisted the urge to laugh.

What he assumed was the closet door rattled as Hinata shifted. "Neji's here and he…. Well, it sounds like he found out from his girlfriend that you and I have been hanging out. He's not happy about it, thinks you're going to 'corrupt' me, or something stupid."

At this, Sasuke frowned. "How does he even know who I am?" It was still sort of funny in a strange way. This faceless, overprotective cousin shaking his fist in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke snorted; he never pictured himself as the 'bad boy, bad influence' type.

"Ugh…. He said you were both in the advanced class at the academy in elementary. I can't believe he'd hold this stupid sort of grudge for so long." She sighed loudly. "Anyway, he told my father about… about… _us_ … and, well… I've sort of gotten into several fights with him already."

"Oh," Sasuke's humor crumble. "Hinata, are you sure you're okay? You don't want me to come get you or anything?"

"Honestly, I'd love that," she replied unexpectedly. His breath caught in his throat at her confession. She took several deep breaths. "I can't, though. It would just make my family even _more_ upset. I can't believe I have to endure this for _three more days_. I'm going to go crazy!"

Warmed by her honesty, he chuckled softly. "You can do it. If there's anyone who can, it's you."

"...Thank you, Sasuke."

He chewed his lip before deciding to confess something as well. "To be frank… I… I really miss you, Hinata." She was so quiet that for a second he thought she'd hung up on him. Then, there was a trembling exhale.

"I miss you too, Sasuke." A loud rattle caused him to hold the phone away from his ear and a man's voice crackled on the other end.

"Who is that Hinata? Are you talking to that delinquent when you're supposed to be helping watch the kids? Honestly, you've gotten so obstinate since I've seen you last!"

Sasuke drew the phone closer again. "Hi… Hinata?"

"Go away Neji!" She growled and then it was quiet again. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I have to go. My aunt's kids just dyed the dog red with… something, I don't know. I'll see you soon!"

"Yeah, go ahead," Sasuke said. "See you when you get back."

 _I love you._

* * *

 **Thanks for waiting! Hope everyone had a good holiday if they celebrate it. I've been struggling with the Story End Blues, which are a bit different than writer's block. Just felt bummed about this chapter, like it wasn't coming together. Luckily, the last chapter is already partially complete and no matter what I'm posting it on New Year's Eve! Gotta happen!**

 _Guest 1: Yes, I too am sad that it's ending. Ugh, but I already feel the seeds of a new sasuhina gestating. Something dark and grand and totally different... We'll have to see though ;)_

 _Giada Luna: Hehehe, well due to story circumstances I can neither confirm nor deny dear Hinata's feelings ;) I'm also relieved that Itachi is well! Funnily, even though I wrote the story and knew for a fact he was going to be okay, it was still stressful when he wasn't. Got caught up in my own writing, I guess. Glad you enjoyed and thanks for reviewing!_

 _crystalblue19: Yay, I'm happy you liked the chapter! And yes, hopefully now Itachi will stay on top of his health, silly guy._

 _claire-and-elide: Yes, the slow burn will_ so _be worth it! He just has to be patient, ha. Thanks for your review :)_

 _Kuronuma392: Never apologize for your English! It's amazing that you managed to learn so much from reading fanfic! Unfortunately, this story is already ending soon, so I can't utilize your ideas, but there's always future works! I'll keep that in mind. Thanks so much for your sweet review!_

 _onlyluna: It's going! So slowly, but it's going! :D_

 _DAngel7: I really appreciate your honesty. I agree that the story could have managed without Sasuke's dark background, but I felt that I needed to seize that opportunity or forever wonder what might have happened! Hopefully in the future I can plot it out better so my story is balanced from the beginning and if I add darkness maybe it isn't so jarring? I dunno. Looking back, I realize I've never really been one to write solid fluff. I should give that a proper try._

 _rcr: Yes, it's too sad when they're apart! hehe_

 _Heise: Oh man, your review was so sweet and cute. I giggled a lot over it. Thank you for your kind words! I'm so happy you like my story!_

 _kiss2lips: Omg, when you reviewed the website was having another one of it's review glitches, so I couldn't see the whole thing and I was driven MAD over it! Honestly though, I'm so humbled by your words. To have such a long-time fan compliment my work is flooring! And you managed to touch on all of my personal goals for this story of staying away from too much angst, having Sasuke be able to cry while remaining human/masculine and just... everything. Your review was so inspiring and I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner. I kind of fall off the website when I'm not updating. My tumblr is **toomanypizzaboxes**_ _, but if you can't find it I can PM you the link if you like. I just feel so blessed! A superfan ;_; Thanks for your kind words and well wishes. I hope you had a lovely holiday as well :)_

 _makarina: Thank you! I'm happy you like it so far and I hope you keep enjoying it :)_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Finally, Hinata was to be back from her family trip. Sasuke walked to the university with a small spring in his step that day, already looking forward to seeing her in the afternoon.

He was _not_ expecting to see her in front of the campus gates first thing.

She was pressed against the brick column marking one side of the gate. Her head was bowed and she was hunched down on herself as two people stood in front of her, one speaking emphatically and the other looking stern. Sasuke recognized the stern one as the brunette girl that Hinata had told about his almost-confession in their military history class, but he didn't recognize the man standing beside her. He had long, coffee-brown hair pulled into what could barely pass as a ponytail and he was wearing pale, austere clothes. They didn't notice as Sasuke approached, so Sasuke paused to listen before barging in to potentially 'rescue' Hinata. As he got closer, he started to understand what the man was saying.

"I know you're old enough to make your own decisions, but even so, I'm older than you and have more experience. It's a little late to be be experiencing teenage rebellion isn't it?"

Hinata lifted her head, almost rolling her eyes. "Neji, you're only a _year_ older than me."

Sasuke scoffed quietly. So, this was the rumored, over-protective cousin?

 _He looks like a stuffy stick-in-the-mud_.

Neji crossed his arms. "That may be true, but it's still entirely unlike you to ignore my feelings about something this important."

The brunette girl laid a consoling hand on Neji's arm and looked at Hinata. "Hinata, Neji means well. He's been involved with Byakugan Enterprises more often than you have; he has more knowledge of the Uchiha affairs than you do."

Hinata pressed her fingers to her temples. "H-how can you know that, Tenten? I know the truth about what happened back then!" She threw her hands down and stomped a foot, glaring at Neji. "Or tell me, is there some _other_ 'horrible secret' that I'm just _too stupid_ to understand? Is that it? You think I'm gullible enough to be completely duped by some kind of real life monster?"

Neji grit his teeth. "That's not what I'm saying and you know it."

"Then what?" Hinata shouted. "You honestly think I'm the kind of person who actively seek out people that Dad hates _just_ to bother him?" Her voice wavered and Sasuke grew anxious seeing her eyes well up. She took a steadying, deep breath before meeting Neji's gaze again. "After all these years? You'd really think I'd do that after being the _only_ one trying to keep my connection to the family alive? It's not like Dad or Hanabi ever reach out to me! I'm always the one calling home trying to figure out where I have to go next in order to _see_ anyone! 'When's Hanabi's birthday party?' 'What time is the ceremony, Dad? I really don't want to miss it!'" Tenten attempted to calm Hinata down but she jerked away, not breaking eye contact with Neji. "Do you _really_ see me as that type of immature person?"

Neji was silent. Sasuke looked around, seeing other students all looking in the Hyuugas' direction uncomfortably. Hinata wiped her eyes sloppily, sniffling as quietly as possible. Finally, Neji released an aggravated exhale.

"Honestly, Hinata. You'd never make a scene like this before. This is what comes of associating with parent-less delinquents who skip school because their remaining family is so poor-mannered they'd let them get away with it. You're not acting like yourself!"

Sasuke felt a flower of rage blossom in his stomach. He nearly stalked over to set this Neji person straight—with his fists, hopefully—but Hinata beat him to it.

"How _dare_ you! You don't know the _first_ thing about him!"

"Hina—"

Sasuke figured it was time to step in. He walked up and cleared his throat. Hinata, realizing who was interrupting gasped and ducked her head once more, hiding behind her hair in shame. Neji and Tenten both turned slightly to glare at him. He almost laughed at the similarity in Neji's features to Hinata's, with the same pearl eyes, shapely brows and even the way their hair sat. Neji scowled, silently daring Sasuke to butt into a family argument. Sasuke grinned devilishly and offered Neji his hand.

"Hi, uh... Parent-less Delinquent. I'm assuming you're Overbearing Cousin. Tell me," he used his outstretched hand to motion at Neji's clothes, "did you get your wardrobe the same place you got that stick up your—" Hinata's eyes bulged before Neji cut Sasuke off.

"I don't recall inviting _you_ into this conversation, Uchiha," he spat. His pale eyes flicked up and down Sasuke's form in return. "And I hardly think you have room to talk with shabby clothes like those."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'd love to sit here and debate fashion with you, _hime_ , but I think what's more important is telling you to get over yourself." He stepped beyond Neji and Tenten to stand next to Hinata. "Hinata's what? Twenty-three? I think she's capable of choosing her friends by now... and not being influenced by them unless she wants to be."

A vein bulged on Neji's temple. "Hinata may be an adult, but she's always been too-easily pushed around. I'm sure that's why a lowlife like _you_ is interested in her."

Sasuke clicked his tongue, looking upwards and pretending to think deeply. "Oh, okay... 'Lowlife', huh? Yeah, I guess these days it _is_ pretty common for lowlifes to be top of their class. But hey, maybe that makes Hinata a lowlife too, then? She's been getting tutoring lessons from me after school."

Neji spluttered.

"Of course," Sasuke continued, "calling Hinata a lowlife is like calling the mayor simpering—both a lie _and_ insulting. Let me just say this, Hyuuga." He finally leveled his eyes with Neji's in an icy glare. "I don't know the first thing about Hinata's relationship with her family; it hasn't really come up in conversation that much... but I do know that Hinata is completely self-sufficient, responsible, and smart. I also know that when I met her, she didn't feel like she was even valuable of being looked at twice, let alone listened to... and that kind of behavior doesn't just _happen_. It takes years and years of being told that you don't matter to make someone act like that. So, maybe, if you really care about her that much, you should _listen_ to her and you should give her the same respect you'd give any other capable person. She can make her own decisions and she can take care of herself."

While the rest of the world moved on, a heavy weight of silence hung over the four people in front of Konoha U. After several uncomfortable minutes of flickering glances, clenched teeth and raised hackles, Neji finally sighed, seeming to relax.

"I hate to say it," he murmured, "but you're right." Sasuke raised his eyebrows as Hinata's head sprang up.

"What?" She blurted.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Neji said softly. "I was wrong to try and control you. Heaven knows you've been managing just fine since you moved out and I know you're not stupid. I should've trusted you more instead of letting my fears get the better of me."

Tenten breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, Neji..."

Neji dipped his head lightly to Hinata. "Please forgive me and... don't hesitate to... to lean on me in the future. I will do my best to hear you out without jumping to conclusions."

Hinata smiled brightly and pulled him into a bear hug. "Thank you, Neji! Thank you! I'm sorry this whole thing got blown out of proportion..."

He pulled away, eyes softening when he looked at his little cousin. "It's all right. Well, I should be on my way. I'll see you again soon."

She nodded rapidly, "Yes, of course!" He walked away after kissing Tenten on the cheek, leaving the trio behind. Tenten smiled awkwardly before greeting Sasuke with a curt nod and telling Hinata she'd see her later. She walked off, whistling. Sasuke sighed heavily.

"Well, that was surprisingly easy." So much drama so early in the day had drained his energy. He turned to head onto the campus when Hinata grabbed his sleeve.

"Did..." she said, "did you mean everything you said?"

Sasuke frowned. "Of course I did. Why else would I say it?"  
She stared at him, eyebrows knit slightly and lips pursed. He stared back, confused as to why she seemed so perturbed. Suddenly, she let out a gasp so quiet he almost missed it. Her eyes went wide and something shimmered in their depths.

"Hinata?"

Her cheeks went pink. "I-I have to go! I need to grab some things from the auditorium." She pulled her hand away from him like it burned to touch him. "I'll see you in class later!"

He waved stiffly as she bolted away before chuckling and shaking his head.

"Seeya."

* * *

One day in early November, Sasuke was jolted out of half-sleep by Naruto loudly slamming a hand down on the table in front of him in the library. They'd been studying for some of the year-end exams coming up when Sakura had found them and asked to speak to Naruto alone. Sasuke had noticed she seemed jittery; she'd kept fiddling with her sweater hem and brushing her hair out of her face while blushing on and off. At first, when she'd originally greeted them, he had a flashback to the first time she'd ever confessed to him and nearly bolted for the exit. However, she'd quickly announced that she wanted to speak with Naruto instead and he'd relaxed.

That had been about an hour before. Now, he looked up from his reclined position, frowning at the boisterous blond who'd so rudely interrupted his catnap.

"What do you want?"

Naruto was grinning wider than Sasuke had ever seen him, blue eyes bright and shimmering with pure joy. Naruto opened his mouth to speak but only laughed shallowly. Sasuke frowned deeper, preparing to make a snarky remark when Naruto suddenly let out a shrieking whoop that echoed in the massive building. Immediately a librarian rushed to their table and hissed for them to be quiet or leave. Naruto giggled meekly and nodded as she walked away. After he sheepishly stared after her, he whipped back around and plopped into the seat across from Sasuke. He leaned forward, eyes wild.

"So, Sakura wanted to talk to me, right?"

Reluctantly, Sasuke leaned forward as well. He slumped forward, dropping his chin into his palm as he rolled his eyes. "Do tell," he said sarcastically. Naruto repressed his mad giggling as best he could. He rubbed his hands together and performed a series of strange, triumphant gestures. Growing impatient, Sasuke snapped, "Spit it out!"

Naruto nodded decidedly. "Yeah, yeah, okay... She said that she was really grateful because we've known each other for so long... and she realized I've always been there for her, encouraging her dreams and stuff... She said that lately, she noticed that I've getting more _mature_ , whatever, you know..."

"Cut to the chase, Naruto."

"She asked me out!" Naruto had to cover his mouth to keep from yelping his glee again. Instead he scrunched his eyes up and wiggled in his seat happily.

Sasuke was frozen. He was vaguely aware of Naruto chattering about how "of course I said yes" and all his plans for the coming holidays, how much he was going to put into making Sakura happy, but all Sasuke could think about was Hinata.

 _She's going to be destroyed._

"Sasuke? Ne, jerk are you listening?"

He blinked, coming back to the present. Somehow, he managed to force himself to give Naruto a half-hearted smile. "Congratulations, idiot."

* * *

Sasuke was ready when Hinata called him, when her name popped up on his cell phone's display. He'd been waiting all day, ever since he and Naruto had parted ways while heading home. He'd debated with himself about whether or not to be the one to break the news to her, but as usual, he decided not to and called himself a coward,

Maybe he was, because—as much as he wanted to—a part of him kept his thumb still over the green 'answer' icon. A part of him wanted to ignore the call, go into the living room and watch TV with Itachi instead.

He just couldn't bear to hear the pain in her voice... was what he told himself, anyway. He knew that he also didn't want to hear her crying over _Naruto_.

Still... he valued comforting hermore than he did his own feelings, so he died to himself a little and answered.

"S-Sasuke...?" She'd already been crying if the thickness of her voice was anything to go by. His heart broke a little when she trailed off into a quivering sniffle.

"Hinata," he murmured.

He heard her stifle a sob. "Sasuke, I... I'm sorry it's late, but can... Will you come over, please?" That was unexpected. He thought she might just cry on the phone, they'd talk through it and it would be mostly over. She wanted him to come to her apartment? Fearing his silence, she asked again. "P-please... I'm so sorry, Sasuke. Please... I need you."

It was all she needed to say. In a haze, he found himself throwing on a jacket, telling Itachi he was heading out and then running through the streets of Konoha like a madman. Before he knew it, he was already at her building. He quickly found her name on the intercom and typed in her number. A loud buzzing sound signified the door was open and he rushed in.

Oddly, her door was unlocked when he arrived. He knocked again anyway. "Hinata? You in here?" He closed the door behind him as he entered, drinking in the surroundings. He'd never been inside Hinata's apartment and now he was realizing that he'd never really thought about what it might look like.

It was mostly decorated in whites, pale blues and pale purples. It had a very small entry that led into a small living room. Sasuke smiled to himself when he saw it was strewn with books and clothes. He noticed a shaggy white carpet beneath Hinata's coffee table and wondered how _that_ managed to stay so clean.

Moving to his left, he followed a hallway to a small kitchen.

Hinata was inside, hunkered down with her back against the cabinets under the sink, sitting in a sea of used tissues. She had her knees pulled to her chest and her forehead resting on them as her body shuddered with each breath. Sasuke stood and looked down at her, heart hurting.

"Hinata..."

She looked up at him, eyes puffy and nose red. Her lower lip trembled "Sasuke... Sasuke, I..." Instead of speaking, another bout of sobs rattled up her chest and she broke down all over again, collapsing down on herself as tears ran down her cheeks. Sasuke pulled his coat off, dropping it to the floor, and sank down beside her, wrapping her in a side hug. She leaned into him, trembling as she cried. He rubbed soothing circles in her back before drawing his hand up to caress the side of her head, drawing it closer to his own.

After several minutes Hinata got her breathing under control. "I-I was just... I was online and... I saw Sakura had updated her status a-and..." She inhaled shakily, choking out a dry sob. "I scrolled past it because I mean, of _course_ she'd find someone. She's pretty and smart... and talented... I just wasn't expecting..." She hiccuped as more tears gushed from her eyes. "Naruto had updated h-his relationship status... and then I just _knew_." She broke down in a fragile wail and pressed her hands to her face.

"Hinata," Sasuke whispered, "I'm so sorry." He had a flashback to when he'd failed at confessing to Hinata and Itachi had comforted him in the same way. He tentatively wrapped his other arm around Hinata's shoulders and drew her into a hug. Letting out soft cries, she clung to his shirt, babbling incoherently. Sasuke leaned her head into his shoulder and gently hushed her. "I should've told you as soon as I found out. I'm sorry. I just... I knew you would be so hurt by that idiot dating someone else."

She pulled away, nodding. "I... I know right?"

He cocked his head. "W... What do you mean?"

Hinata threw her hands into the air and shrugged. "I don't know! I just... I'm so upset because... I'm scared, Sasuke."

Dark brows knitting together, Sasuke scratched his head. "I'm not sure I follow...?"

"I... I built my life around him," Hinata murmured through more hiccups. "I went to _college_ for him. I chose my classes because I wanted to support him and be _there_ for him until he noticed me and I..." She trailed off, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Sasuke waited until she felt strong enough to speak again. "I wasted all this time trying to be the perfect partner for him, so why aren't I more upset because he's dating someone else?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Um... well..." He ran his hand through his hair and down his face. "Listen, you're sitting here crying your eyes out. I, uh... I think that you're plenty upset."

Her hair swayed as she shook her head. "I should be feeling worse... I'm only crying because..." She met his gaze, pearl eyes glittering with unshed tears. "What in the world does that _say_ about me... as a person?! I spent _eighteen_ years just _pining_ after him and now—here, where I should be heartbroken because I'll probably never, _ever_ get a chance with him—I'm just worried because of _classes_? What kind of monster am I?"

Sasuke gaped at her.

What? _What_?

He couldn't help it; he laughed.

Hinata looked taken aback. "W-why are you laughing?"

"Hinata," he gasped, coming down off a guffaw, "you're not a monster at all." He ruffled her hair, causing her to blush. "You've just grown up; you're finally realizing that you're worth too much to be a shadow to some loud idiot."

She wiped her eyes, dabbing them with a tissue to disguise her pink cheeks. "What... What am I supposed to do, though? I-I feel so lost now..."

He sighed, contemplating for a few moments. "You... treat it like an opportunity. You just said you've spent eighteen years living your life to fit Naruto... Why don't you try living for yourself?" He leaned his head back against the counter, looking up to the ceiling. "You have the ability to be anything, _do_ anything. You can throw away everything that kept you in that box—you can grow into your best self, better than anything you might have been while stuck waiting for him." He pressed a hand over his eyes, suddenly shy. "I don't know. Don't listen to me; it's stupid."

"No it's not."

He opened his eyes, meeting Hinata's. She lowered the tissue she had been gripping, keeping him fixed in an awed stare. She set the tissue aside.

"Sasuke... thank you. So much."

Suddenly, she lurched forward, gripping him by the shoulders.

"Hinata? What are you..."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and his mind went blank. He felt her breath brush along his face, ear and neck as she pulled away. She smelled like salt and fresh laundry. She sat back on her feet, smiling softly at him. "You know, Sasuke... I..."

 _No._ What? Why no?

 _Because she's just getting over Naruto._

So what?

 _You'll only be a stepping stone._

Sasuke jumped to his feet, backing away from Hinata in a daze. She'd shocked him with the kiss, sending his mind reeling. Too many feelings were rushing through his head—it was too much.

"Sasuke? What's wrong?"

He didn't know. Why was he so angry now? "Is this all I am to you?" Was that him talking? "Don't toy with me!"

Hinata slowly got to her feet, perplexed. "I'm not toying with you. What are you talking about?"

He grabbed her shoulders, holding her still and looming over her. "What am I talking about? I'm talking about that... that _kiss_!"

"I was only trying to thank you, I... Sasuke. You're... you're scaring me!"

"I..." He bit his lip as he stared down at her, so close their noses could brush. "Don't you..."

She stared back up at him, eyes wide. "Don't I _what_?"

Shame poured down inside him like a rush of ice water. He'd overreacted... and _scared_ her. As he came to from his anxiety attack, he felt disgusted with himself. He released Hinata's shoulders and pulled away, pausing to grab his jacket.

"I have to go. I... I'm sorry." He fled, ignoring her calling his name behind him. The shame kept filling him up inside, rising like water in a black reservoir, slowly pulling him under as he heard his own words and his saw his own fears echoing endlessly in his head.

 _Forget Naruto... I'm the real idiot._

* * *

 **Oh man... Writing this made me realizing exactly how crazy intense the final chapter is going to be. I'm excited and nervous all at once. I hate making these two have misunderstandings... Just be together and be cute already!**

 _Guest 1: Thank you! I'm glad you said that you were feeling the chemistry, because I'm crap at deciphering if things work to get peoples' hearts fluttering or not._

 _Switchlolly007: Aw, that's very sweet of you to say. I feel the same, both sad and happy. I'm sad because this has been one of my best stories, but I'm grateful for it to be ending so I can move on to different projects. If/when I write my next sasuhina, I hope you like it as well :)_

 _Itachi's Queen: Okay, your review had a_ great _energy to it! I was giggling like mad because you're so full of life! I'm glad you liked it, thank you for reviewing!_

 _Kuronuma392: Aww, you're great! I love ya too, reader! :D Hope you enjoy this update!_

 _claire-and-elide: Always gotta have some curmudgeonly Neji, it's an absolute must! For real though, Neji's little moments with Sasuke are so fun. They're both so serious and sassy in their weird, stoic ways._

 _Hyo: Yay, I'm glad! It was a nice break of fluff between Itachi's incident and the crazy buildup to the finale, I think. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!_

 _onlyluna: Yeah, I definitely got washed away in the cozy, familial times with the Akatsuki. If I had enough jokes and ideas, I'd love an ongoing story like that. Alas, I'm just one writer with too many ideas! Thanks for your review._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It wasn't like the time after the beach. It was worse. Sasuke _knew_ Hinata's kiss had been innocent... but that just made him feel all the more guilty. He'd jumped the gun and allowed his own feelings to get in the way of having a normal response. What _was_ like the time after the beach was his response: avoidance.

Except she was aware that there had been a problem this time, so she was avoiding him too. They accidentally made eye contact in class one day and Sasuke had never felt lower, more undeserving of even being alive. Maybe that was just his messed up mind talking? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he'd hurt Hinata... and that he'd never put himself in a place to do so again.

So days turned into weeks and weeks dragged on through November, through December, down into the final days of the year.

Itachi was frustrated beyond belief. He'd managed to pry the gist of the event from Sasuke when Sasuke had returned home in a whirlwind of negative emotion and hadn't let up on trying to fix it. Sasuke continuously growled at him to stop meddling, that their 'friendship was over', but that was like asking Itachi to not to breathe. However, as time passed and there was no sign of things working out even as Christmas came and went, Itachi got quieter in regards to Sasuke's Hinata problem.

New Year's Eve was coming faster than ever before, it seemed, and now that he was healed enough, he had to spend time planning the annual company party. This year, they'd chosen to hold it in the very apartment building the Uchiha brothers lived in, as it featured a large on-site party hall, complete with a swimming pool and stage. Of course, 'company' party was a bit of a stretch; Itachi had made it a habit to invite his and Sasuke's friends for years. Naturally, he'd include Hinata this time.

By his calculations, he still had enough time for one more plan before the year's end.

* * *

"You're not dressed."

Sasuke looked up from his book, tentatively glaring at Itachi in the doorway. Itachi had made the most of his still-recovering pallor, selecting a luxurious, midnight blue suit for the party. The color contrasted splendidly with his ill-looking skin, even drawing out the grey tones in his irises. However, Sasuke was more drawn towards the look of scolding in his older brother's eyes.

"That's because I'm not going."

Itachi exhaled a crackling sigh. "While there are several of your acquaintances in attendance, along with a host of others, little brother, I think I'd best remind you that this _is,_ foremost, an Uchiha event. I'm afraid your appearance is mandatory... and in something other than a ratty t-shirt and old pajamas." A trace of smugness flickered into his gaze, but was quickly tamped down and replaced by the previous condescending expression. "I'd prefer it if you did this the easy way, as the cold weather has me a bit subdued. I don't want to fight." As if to punctuate his claim, he coughed wetly into a handkerchief. Sasuke wrinkled his nose at the dramatic gesture, knowing Itachi was playing up his condition to garner some sort of sympathy.

Too bad it was working.

Grumbling under his breath, he snapped the book shut and pulled himself from his bed. "Fine, you win. But I'm only showing for a few minutes."

Itachi smiled pleasantly. "That's all I ask." He left, closing Sasuke's door behind him. Sasuke stared at the door for several minutes before sighing. He didn't want to 'show' at all. He wanted to stay locked up until he wasted away and disintegrated into thin air. Maybe he was kidding himself, thinking that any good could come of caving to Itachi's whims.

He knew Hinata was going to be downstairs.

The thought made his stomach clench painfully.

Still, he'd said that he would go, so he would. With determination set in his jaw, he gathered up his suit from the previous year and went to shower and dress.

* * *

It was already getting late when he finally managed to talk himself into going downstairs. Naruto had spent the last two hours attempting to call him, so much so that he'd finally just put his cell on silent. As he approached the glass-walled party hall, glowering around him at the festive light displays and other garish visuals, he felt nausea bubble up in his stomach.

He didn't want to face her... not until all memory of their experience together had been dulled by time's passing.

Music befitting the holiday blared out from the hall, muffled by the walls, as Sasuke stood in the entry, willing his stomach into submission. He peered through the glass, observing the high walls draped in gold and silver silks. A white crystal star illuminated the hall from above, edged in gold filigree. Somehow the decorators had managed to string large ribbons of tinsel across the ceiling, making for a very pretty picture. The beauty was lost on Sasuke, unfortunately. The room was filled with party-goers in their dark, glittering dresses and well-tailored tuxes. Sasuke gulped, adjusting his tie uncomfortably. A doorman suddenly noticed his presence and sprang into action.

"Oh, young master Uchiha! Please, come in!" He opened the door, waving a hand for Sasuke to go inside. The over-stimulating combination of loud music and a hundred attendees' conversations rushed out in full clarity. As discouraging as it was, it distracted him from the thoughts rattling around in his head. He nodded to the doorman and went inside, sticking to the wall like a cat without cover. A server walked by with a tray of champagne flutes and Sasuke absently snagged one, downing it in one swig. He left it behind on a table somewhere before slinking further into the shadows, hoping none of the company higher-ups took notice of him enough to talk to him.

Sadly, Naruto did.

He nearly tackled Sasuke from behind in one of his usual side hugs, quickly clasping his hands together so Sasuke couldn't wriggle away. He leaned close to Sasuke's ear, keeping his grin in place so everyone would think they were only joking around.

"I've been calling you for _hours_ , jerk," he hissed in Sasuke's ear. Sasuke writhed, struggling to get away.

"Sorry, idiot. Must have forgotten how to answer a phone."

Naruto shook him, earning a poisonous scowl. "C'mon, Sasuke! I was getting worried!" He allowed one arm to fall, keeping the other securely around Sasuke's shoulders as they traversed the crowded hall. "You disappeared again, man. Outside of class, I haven't even seen you for weeks. What the heck is going on with you?"

Sasuke attempted to dart away, only to be pulled back against Naruto's side. He glared at Naruto again. "It's none of your business, idiot."

"Well, see," Naruto scoffed irritably, "normally I wouldn't care. However, this time Hinata's been upset too."

Sasuke stilled. "How do you know that?"

"I don't stop going to the cafe just 'cause you're not with me," Naruto smirked. "Anyway, she's been really down. Doesn't talk much, doesn't blush... She even got my order wrong one time!" Sasuke resisted the urge to snarl. She'd been trying to get over the idiot and he'd just stuck to her like a burr instead of disappearing! Naruto pretended to observe his fingernails as he continued. "She was acting so weird and you weren't anywhere to be found, so I figured something must've happened. I asked her about it and you know what she told me?"

"...What?"

Naruto pulled away to stand in front of Sasuke, almost as if he was challenging him to a fight. "She said she didn't know and it didn't matter because you weren't tutoring anymore!"

Sasuke shrugged. "She's right. I'm not."

"But Sasuke! She looked so sad when she said that... What's going on with you guys?"

"Nothing, Naruto. Just... leave me alone."

Naruto shook his head. "No can do. Listen, Sasuke... I know you've had kind of a rough time of it... and even I haven't been there for you as much as I should, probably."

Sasuke gave him a withering look.

"A-Anyway," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "I just saw that you were really... I dunno, _peaceful_ around Hinata. She's been standing out more in class, too, since hanging around you. The professor even told her to try out for the acting class next year!"

"Get _on_ with it, Naruto," Sasuke growled.

"Don't rush me! I'm tryin' to be sensitive about this! I want to see my best friend happy with someone who's nice and might not irritate him like the rest of the world! Geez, you know you're really lucky to have me as friend, jerk! I'm always carin' about you—" His voice faded into the background as Sasuke caught sight of something over his shoulder, across the hall.

Hinata.

She looked like some sort of winter angel, her hair done up in braids on either side of her head, woven through with shimmering, opal ties. Her dress was the same shifting color in a v-neck flare dress which seemed to consist mostly of layers of some flowing, lightweight material. The only thing that didn't fit the picture was her miserable expression.

Naruto continued chattering away, not noticing that Sasuke's attention was currently elsewhere. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, watching Hinata as she navigated the party cautiously, squeezing through other attendees and looking as uncomfortable as Sasuke felt. She managed to escape the thickest part of the crowd and seemed to sigh on the other side, standing by the pool. The light from the star lamp overhead lit the water, beams refracting back to paint the bottom of Hinata's dress blue. Sasuke exhaled tightly. He was so torn. Torn between wanting to run over to her and apologize for being such a colossal moron and wanting to leave the party and never speak to her again.

Then, a light flashed. Sasuke sought out the source and saw it was a server carrying a tray of glasses. He was heading in the same direction Hinata was, but she couldn't see him. They were going to run into each other. Sasuke felt a strangled cry die in his chest.

It was like it happened in slow motion. The crash sent glasses and champagne everywhere. Hinata struggled to regain her footing and the server fell over backwards. Hinata's shoe heel caught the edge of the pool and it was all over in one sickening splash. Several party-goers shrieked as the water sprayed the edges of their clothes and several staff members rushed over immediately to help Hinata out of the pool.

Sill Naruto spoke on and on, ranting about how he wanted what was best for Sasuke and since hey, he had a girlfriend first he was technically better and more experienced with the dating scene. Sasuke's mouth was dry as he watched the background events take place like some sick movie.

Itachi, ever the smooth operator, swooped in like a knight in shining armor. He quickly extricated Hinata from the pool, pulling her up onto solid ground and pawing the excess water away from her dress. Sasuke watched as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, ushering her from the party. Just before they left the hall, he turned back and made eye contact with Sasuke. It was a thrown gauntlet—a challenge wrapped up in one icy look.

The party resumed like a carousel starting up, slowly rebuilding into a whir of activity. Sasuke suddenly broke from his frozen observation and grabbed Naruto's shoulders. Naruto nearly choked.

"Gah! What, _what_ Sasuke? I was talkin'!"

"I have to go. I'll see you later," Sasuke said. He spun on his heel, chasing after his brother through the building.

* * *

Somehow Itachi managed to elude him. He'd catch a glimpse of them turning a corner or slipping through a doorway just seconds too late. After missing the elevator and choosing to run up the stairs like a bat out of hell, he caught Itachi in the entryway to their apartment, already heading back to the party. He froze when Itachi made eye contact with him once more and smiled faintly.

"You look out of breath, little brother."

"Where is she?"

"She's inside of course. I thought your friendship was over, though. Why so concerned?" Itachi's patronizing tone seemed to crack what was left of Sasuke's self control. He had to restrain himself from grabbing Itachi's lapels, knowing it wouldn't help.

"Why are you butting in? You should've just let her go home!"

"Sasuke." Itachi's eyes darkened ominously. He fixed Sasuke in an oppressive stare, quelling his rampant frustration. "You need to make a decision. It's time to stop dancing around your feelings and stand your ground."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke snapped.

"I think we both know the answer to that." Sasuke gave no response, so Itachi patted him on the shoulder and walked away. He called over his shoulder, "Just... try again, Sasuke. She might be more receptive this time." The elevator _dinged_ as the doors closed, leaving Sasuke alone in the dark entry.

 _"It's time to stop dancing around your feelings."_

He inhaled and exhaled... inhaled and exhaled.

It was time to be honest, sincere. It was time to confront the tangle of emotions that tied him and Hinata together like the red thread of fate.

He opened the door to a dark apartment. The buildings across the street illuminated the room through the windows with a fragile light. A silhouette stood in front of the windows, gazing out, but he already knew who it was. He approached her, feet padding softly against the hardwood floors. She turned as he drew close and he stopped, seized by the sight in front of him.

Itachi had lent her his clothes. Hinata was standing before him in _Itachi's_ clothes.

She stared up at him, pulling the towel she'd been dabbing her hair with down. "...Sasuke..."

A bitter heat spread from his chest outwards. His flood of conflicting emotions bubbled up, boiling and searing his insides. What had Itachi been _thinking_? Did he really believe that this would lead anywhere _good_?

Hinata looked at her feet, growing nervous under Sasuke's seething. "I-I'm sorry for imposing... especially when I know you don't want to see me."

"You're right," he said flatly. "I don't." _Not like this_.

She almost glanced at him, flinching at the venom in his voice. She fiddled with the cuff of the dress shirt Itachi had lent her and Sasuke heard white noise in his head.

"I... I see..." She sniffed quietly before she set her jaw. "So all those nice w-words before... Those were just... just lies then?" She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. He frowned and she continued, "Everything you said about me not being a monster... I-it couldn't be true otherwise... you wouldn't be so mad at me."

"Do you honestly think _that_ ' _s_ what I'm upset about?" Sasuke hissed.

"Well how am I supposed to know?!" Hinata abruptly caught his eyes in hers. They were burning with a fierceness that he'd only seen a glimpse of before, way back when he met her out shopping. She'd gotten defensive because he'd insinuated that she was a spoiled rich girl. That moment paled in comparison to her expression now. Her eyes welled with tears that refused to fall and he found himself distracted. Hinata brushed the tears away with the heel of her palm. "How am I supposed to know what goes on in your head when you won't even _talk_ to me?"

"You're not," he said vacantly. Somehow seeing her angry just made him more guilty, more wrathful about the whole mess. "You're not supposed to know anything." He exhaled loudly, exasperated. Curse Itachi and his meddling.

"Then you can't do what you did!" She stomped. "You can't just freak out like you did a-and leave!" More tears welled up and she covered her face. "...I'm tired of crying about you."

" _You're_ tired of crying about _me_?!" His jaded self rose up, indignant that she'd dared to claim she cared more than he did. "Do you even know what you've put me through, begging me to help you with your friends, telling me that you've gotten stronger because of me?" She pulled her hands away from her eyes and looked up at him again, bewildered. He ran his hands through his hair. "You sit on my bed several times a week looking perfect, staring at me with those stupid pearl eyes of yours like I'm the sun!" Hinata flushed at his words, mouth falling open. The rant continued rising up from the deepest parts of himself, threatening to break any sense of dignity he possessed. "You force me to come with you everywhere and you eat off my spoon and you drag me to your apartment in the middle of the night... you kiss me and you smell like heaven, but it's only because you're in love with my _best_ _friend_." His voice cracked with a restrained, dry sob. "What am I supposed to do with my feelings for you?"

Hinata went rigid, gawking at him. After several breaths she managed to stutter, "F-feelings for me? ...Sasuke..."

"It doesn't matter," he snapped. "Don't you _dare_ respond when I didn't say it properly."

Searing rage flashed in her eyes. "Don't tell me how to react to something like that! Don't _you_ dare tell _me_ what to do! What did _I_ ever do for you to be so mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you!" Sasuke stepped closer to her, seeing red from the way Itachi's clothes fit on her, draping over her form. "I'm mad at myself! Because as much as I wanted to _forget_ the way I felt about you, I can't! It just keeps getting stronger the more I talk to you, the more I see you, and...seeing you like this..." he gestured at Itachi's clothes and trailed off, treading water in his own feelings.

"Seeing me like what?" Hinata's eyes hardened as her fingernails sank into the folds of the shirt. "Seeing me _how_ , Sasuke?"

"Seeing you in Itachi's clothes! My perfect older brother, who's always managed to be exactly what everyone wanted him to be. _I'm_ the freak who nearly killed himself because I was too messed up to listen to anyone. _I'm_ the one who got pulled from school multiple times, who had to be locked up in a psych ward because my brain couldn't handle reality! _I'm_ the one who's so freakin' broken that I can't even function like a normal human being!" Sasuke gulped in air, chest heaving. "And I come up here to find the only girl I've ever liked wearing _his_ clothes. Do you know what it feels like to see you in _his_ clothes?! Do you know what that means to guys like me?"

"I don't care!" Hinata thrashed her fists around, hair following her erratic movements. "They're just _clothes_ , Sasuke! You don't own me because you love me!"

"I don't _want_ to own you, you _dense_ , self-deprecating fool! I want to _date_ you!" They both went silent. Sasuke panted for a few moments. "...I want to be the one who encourages you to want to be stronger. I want to be there when you accomplish your dreams... I want to see you _shine_."

Hinata—in all their months as friends—had never blushed so hard. Any bravado she had displayed moments before seemed to drift away on a puff of steam above her. The sound of traffic and cheering outside drowned them in their own muteness. Finally, Hinata sighed.

"I-I... I don't know what to..."

"You don't have to say anything," Sasuke said. "You don't even have to acknowledge that I said that." He stepped away from her, drifting towards the hallway. "I'm sorry I freaked out at you... and that I put you in this position." Ignoring her pleas to wait again, he ghosted down the hallway, shutting himself in his room.

He slumped against his closet wall and grimaced. The gravity of everything he'd just said sinking in. He cursed loudly, pounding a fist against the wall.

A loud, dragging _thump!_ sounded from inside. Curious, he opened the closet door, revealing an old, unfamiliar, dusty box that had fallen from one of his higher shelves.

 _What the heck...?_

He picked it up and blew the dust off, coughing when it clouded up around his head. He waved a hand to disperse it before pulling off the lid. "Letters?" A stack of lavender-colored envelopes was tied together with old twine. He pulled them up and his throat tightened; there were several faded photographs of his parents, and one very grim photo of him and Itachi shortly after their parents' passing. Memories started to come back. He had been maybe thirteen. Tired of constant reminders of his dead family, he'd shoved their pictures and all related memorabilia into a boxed and stowed it away at the back of his closet. What were the letters, though?

He yanked the twine away and gingerly opened the first one. The writing was messing, leaning too far to one side, so it couldn't have been his mom's. Did he write it? Fully unfolding it, he began to read.

" _Sasuke Uchiha. I don't know you very good, but I heard that your parents passed away. My guardian is making me write this because my daddy say it's important to keep ties strong in the upper class. I don't really know what it means, but I'm sorry that your parents are gone. My mommy died last year too, and I miss her sometimes."_

He frowned. The bottom portion of the letter had been made illegible, whether by tears or wear he couldn't tell. He opened another, dated several weeks after the first.

 _"I wanted to send you some pressed flowers with this, but Daddy said that it would be useless. Maybe I can convince him next time. If you wanted I was hoping we could be friends. My guardian says your brother is a lot older than you. My sister is a lot littler than me, so maybe we would get along!"_

There were countless others, but now he was caught up in the content. He didn't remember these letters at all. Finally, he came to one dated six months after the first.

 _"You haven't come back to school. I tried asking the teacher about it, but he didn't want to talk. Some of the others yelled at me and told me to be quiet or I'd bring a curse down on us. Why would asking about you do that?_

 _...Please come back. I was telling myself that if you were okay, then I could be okay too. If you don't... What am I supposed to do? I remember a long time ago my mommy told me that whatever we lose will eventually find us again if we hope hard enough. I just know that if you hope hard enough, you'll see your family again."_

It was signed 'Hinata Hyuuga'. His hand trembled and all the forgotten images came rushing back.

It was January. He was six years old and he was at a funeral. There were mostly older people, but there was one girl his age. Itachi had told him to get lost because he wanted to listen to what the adults were talking about, so Sasuke had followed the girl away from the compound into the yard. He didn't get to talk to her, because by the time he'd caught up, she'd fallen into a pond, soaking her black kimono with freezing water and thick mud. He'd dragged her back to the house screaming and crying, but not before she'd admitted she didn't want to go because her mother wasn't there anymore. They'd gone around in circles in the yard, him asking where her mom was if not there, until the girl had broken down, remembering what death really was.

He was seven and he was at a funeral again. A little girl in a black kimono had stared at him through the ceremony, looking away whenever he glared at her. Before she left with her family members, they forced her to hand him an envelope.

He'd seen her at several upper class functions since then, but they'd never gotten close. She was too shy and he was too angry, but still the letters came. He'd never paid them much mind and he forgot about them almost as soon as they'd stopped.

But he remembered her blue-black hair... and her haunting, white eyes.

Sasuke was on his feet before he could really register the revelation. He threw his bedroom door open and stomped down the hall, all the way back to the living room.

Hinata had been crying, sitting in the middle of the couch. She looked up at him warily, afraid he might snap again.

He brandished the letter at her, "'Whatever we lose will eventually find us again'?" He shook the letter again, incredulous. "How long have we _known_ each other?"

Hinata frowned, attempting to process his vague accusation. Suddenly, her face twisted in shock and she jumped to her feet. "You're the little boy I wrote to?! The one who pulled me out of the pond?!" He stared at her, stupefied. Hinata rubbed her temples. "W... How can that be? I used to think about you whenever I missed my mom! I always thought of you as m-my beacon of hope... whenever things got too bad I could know that you were just like me... I..." Her eyes widened. "Sasuke... It was you...?"

He tossed the letters aside. In an instant he'd stalked across the room, lifting his hands to cradle Hinata's face as he pressed his lips to hers. Electric heat crackled in his heart, blooming and twisting out across his skin and waking up the butterflies in his stomach. Her lips responded to his, soft and welcoming as her hands shyly traveled up his arms and shoulders, fingers threading through his hair. His breath hitched and his heart stuttered. One hand traveled down her back to pull her closer to him, the other remained locked in her hair, feeling the way it slipped over his skin like cool water. She pulled away for a moment, whispering his name breathlessly before he drew her back and deepened the kiss.

Somewhere in the background, the people of Konoha lining the city streets were counting down to midnight.

 _"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."_

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Hinata in a needy, possessive hug as he broke the kiss. His breath quivered against her cheeks.

 _"...six, five, four..."_

"I love you, Hinata. I've been in love with you for so long..."

 _"...three, two, one!"_

She buried her head in his neck, her unsteady breaths fanning over his skin and making his knees weak and his head feel like champagne. "I love you too, Sasuke. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it..."

 _"Happy New Year!"_

The cheers and cacophony of the city were drowned out by the beating of his own heart.

She'd been there, waiting, all along. His eyes had been closed, always looking elsewhere... If only he'd opened them, maybe he would have seen her sooner, maybe he wouldn't have felt so alone.

He pulled her into another kiss, gentle and slow. She wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling into the kiss through happy tears.

It was fate; it had to be. How else could so many coincidences align to make them meet again after so much time had passed?

 _Whatever we lose will find us again. We only have to hope._

Hinata's mom was wrong. Hope wasn't the answer; need was. They'd needed each other all along—two lonely people walking so close to each other. But they weren't alone anymore. They'd finally crossed the last bridge separating them. Now they were free to go forward.

A new year, a new love. Together.

* * *

 **Aaaaand it's over! Naturally, there will be an epilogue. I'll be posting it sometime in January so I can have a nice break.**

 _Dalisay08: That's very kind of you! Happy New Year to you as well!_

 _Sasusaku Troll: Hey man, funnily enough Hinata is not the self-insert here; it's Sasuke. I've been using his way of processing to deal with my own mental health as a form of therapy. I can assure you, should I do an_ actual _self-insert, it would not be Hinata. It would be a proper OC and I would probably join in with Itachi in bullying Sasuke. It would not go over well. Anyway, I hope you have a good new year and find lots of good sasusaku material to read and enjoy!_

 _Itachi's Queen: Hah, I realized 'hime' is a common nickname in many sasuhina stories. Mostly it's Sasuke calling Hinata that, but I wanted to take a funny little stab at it in my own way. Again, your review has me smiling! I'm honored that you'd take time to review if you don't often. That's very special to me. Thank you!_

 _Kuronuma392: Hope this big moment was sweet enough! If not, the epilogue is going to be really sweet and fluffy. Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Guest 1: It was pretty awkward, but somehow our boy managed to fix his silly mistake, haha._

 _Switchlolly007: Aww thank you for your kind words! You caught me: the kiss was totally breathless, heh. Happy New Year to you too!_

 _Guest 2: I'm glad you liked the Akatsuki! They were incredibly fun to write for me :)_

 _Guest 3: Thank you so much! It may be a while, because my next plan for these two is going to be very complex and very different, but I hope you read in the future as well._

 _Saki-Hime: He came to his senses! It only took Itachi giving him one final kick in the butt, but it happened!_

 _onlyluna: I feel like Hinata could get away with being pretty bossy in this universe, too. Sasuke would grumble the whole way, but in the end he'd end up doing what she wanted lol Thanks for your review!_

 _mili: Uwaaa, I'm blushing. I don't think I'm one of the best by any means, but I'd say the number one secret to getting better at writing is reading! Your review was very generous and I'm very thankful. Happy New Year :)_

 **With that, this tale comes to a (mostly) close. I want to thank everyone who stuck with me through this crazy drama. I've been very blessed by you all and I'll never forget this lovely experience. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement, for your advice and suggestions. Speaking of suggestions, I'm open to taking lots of fluffy suggestions if you have any for the epilogue! Feel free to PM me or message me on tumblr. All my contact info is in my profile.**

 **Thank you all again, and have a happy new year and a great 2017.**

 **~Whyte**


	17. Epilogue

_Two years later_

The bright blue of the spring sky faded as it dipped to meet the horizon, thinning out into a robin's egg backdrop to the city of Konoha. It was a warmer spring than usual, the temperature bleeding the cherry blossoms of their delicate scent and flooding the streets with it in tandem with the pink, snow-like petals. The afternoon sun was glittery and bright, almost tangible, as Sasuke lifted a hand to let it run over his fingertips.

Somewhere nearby, deeper within the upper class district, strains of elegant music filtered through the ambiance of twittering birds and the rush of rainwater in the gutter below. Sasuke inhaled deeply before lurching into a steady lope up the cobblestone street. A pair of high, broad gates met him at the entrance to a grassy courtyard and he pushed them open just enough to slip inside, where he was met with a suffocating bustle of people scrambling to and fro laden with chairs, or flowers, or gossamer, white banners. Sasuke flattened himself against the inside of the wall, inching towards a door as he pulled at the tie around his neck. He managed to slip by the numerous staff with surprising ease and exhaled a soft sigh of relief when he made it through the door without incident. After straightening his jacket, he continued down the nigh-oppressively quiet hall with a hint of spring in his step. He passed several doors which emanated discouraging, high-pitched giggles but soldiered forward. He had one thing in mind and he would remain on target.

Eventually he came to a final door. Steeling his nerves, he pushed it open and went inside.

The room was bright, lit by several large windows around the perimeter. A privacy divider was in one corner, wrapped around some floor length mirrors. There was a cream-colored chair set in the main part of the room, but Sasuke couldn't sit down just yet. He cleared his throat.

There was a quiet 'eep!' from behind the divider before something clattered against the mirrors and whoever it was stepped out into the light.

Sasuke gaped, cheeks flushing before he could will his surprise away.

"Sasuke?" Hinata frowned, reaching up to straighten the ornament in her hair. "The reception isn't for another couple of hours; what are you doing here?" Her fingers expertly sank into her dark hair, winding it tighter at a braided junction near her ear. When she was finished, she brushed her hands down the front of her crane-patterned _furisode_. When Sasuke didn't respond right away she glanced up at him nervously between her lashes, cheeks flushing a fetching pink. After several moments of shared blushing, she raised an arm and hid behind a sleeve. "You're embarrassing me."

Sasuke blew out a sheepish gust of air and cleared his throat. "Sorry... You just looked... so incredible."

Her arm drifted just low enough to expose her eyes and creased brows. "You're not supposed to be here, you know. This building is just for the girls to get ready."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I got bored waiting for the ceremony to be over." He released a teasing, exaggerated sigh and sank into the love seat on one side of the coffee table. "Imagining those two idiots joining up and _reproducing_? Exhausting." He pressed a hand over his face in mock weariness. Hinata stepped closer to him, giggling softly.

"You know you're only saying that because you want them to be happy."

Sasuke lowered his hand, concealing his playful smirk. "Yeah, you're right." He and Hinata shared a warm look, eyes glittering with gladness over their friends' nuptials. Hinata sank down on the other end of the love seat, carefully arranging her _furisode_ so it wouldn't wrinkle. She soon grew shy once more, glancing over at him and away and again several times. After drinking in the lovely image of her dressed in her formal wear again, Sasuke got distracted by the pleasing way Hinata's pale eyes reflected the light from the windows. He scooted closer to her, lips splitting into a cocky grin when he noticed her flush returning, creeping up from the collar of her clothing. He draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her close against him. She smiled slightly, relaxing into the half-hug.

He chuckled and leaned close to her ear. "Did I already say how amazing you look?"

Her smile grew. "I think you might have mentioned it." They chuckled together as he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

With the bright sun filtering in behind them, the heat blooming in his chest from the kiss, Sasuke breathed in. A day like today could last forever... and he didn't think he'd ever grow tired of it.

* * *

The courtyard had been transformed since he'd seen it earlier in the afternoon. Bright-feeling music played loudly from the audio setup in the corner. The gossamer banners from before had been tied up around the rooftops, framing the yard in an ethereal softness. Fairy lights sparkles along strings around the dining area and large, white lanterns seemed to float, unfettered, throughout the space. The delicate glow suffused the evening air, contrasting against the deepening blue of the clear sky. Round, white tables were arranged in a honeycomb formation and several longer tables—laden with trays of food—bordered the edges. At a separate table in the back of the setting, what Sasuke assumed was the cake sat, covered in a massive opaque cloche, awaiting the reveal by the bride and groom.

There was a tug on his sleeve and Hinata pointed to the gates. "It's time," she murmured, eyes dancing. He nodded, giving the arm laced with his a reassuring squeeze. The sound of a bell echoed throughout the district and a pair of staff members opened the gates, revealing a radiant procession the likes of which Konoha hadn't seen in decades. A hundred guests at least, clad in varying shades of formal wear—both traditional and modern—flowed through the gates like a rainbow-colored river, illuminated with the exultation they all shared. There were familiar faces as well as unfamiliar, but they were all alike in the smiles they wore. The courtyard filled and for a moment Sasuke fretted that there wouldn't be enough room. Yet, they all settled in and as the last few guests arrived, so did the main attraction, flanked on either side by the mayor herself, Tsunade Senju, and the bride's parents.

Tsunade, boisterous as ever, stepped forward firmly and raised her arms. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the bride and groom!"

Hinata's face lit up. Sasuke swallowed thickly and refused to acknowledge the building moisture in his eyes. The music reached a crescendo.

Naruto and Sakura stepped through the gates, arm in arm and emitting such touching happiness that some guests would later describe it as 'blinding'. Naruto's eyes were scrunched up from the breadth of his usual foxy grin, wider and whiter than it had ever been before in his life. In keeping with their split traditional/contemporary style wedding, he was wearing a glossy black tux, but in keeping with _Naruto_ , the tie was undone and flapping about his shoulders whimsically. A bundle of cherry blossoms were pinned to his lapel.

Sakura, mirroring her name, was the true flower of the pair. Her trademark pink hair had grown even longer over the past two years, cascading down her back and flowing freely in styled, broad ringlets. Instead of wearing her _uchikake_ as it was originally intended, she had opted to follow the new trend of folding it down over the _obi_ , transforming it into a eye-catching, sleeveless gown. Sasuke, despite himself, found himself smiling at that. It was just so _Sakura_. Clasped in her arm was a massive bouquet of cherry blossoms, white camellias and pale pink roses.

They finally reached the arbor, lit from above by a woven structure of fairy lights, and stopped to survey the image. The guests began a round of applause and a reverberating, collective shout of "Congratulations!" flooded the space.

Sasuke found himself clapping along with them, although it felt cheap compared the emotions he actually felt in regards to Naruto's marriage.

 _I hope they find happiness together, forever._

* * *

The food was delicious, but the speeches were better. So many different stories of Naruto from when he was a rambunctious hoodlum running the streets, spray-painting the city hall building before he was even old enough to buy the paint on his own. Tales of how happy people were to hear when Mayor Tsunade had adopted him, how proud they were to watch him grow into the thoughtful, responsible young man he had become and how glad they were to see him stepping into a new chapter of his life with his beloved new wife.

Stories were also shared on Sakura's end, many honoring her for her strong initiative for her medical career and well wishes for her to go far as a practitioner. At one point Ino stood up and—being a bit tipsy—accidentally called Sakura "Billboard Brow". It had almost come to half-joking blows, until Ino began to weep, happily gushing about how happy she was to see her friend end up with someone who cherished her. Sakura really deserved that, she explained, someone who would appreciate her for who she was.

The night wore on. The trees surrounding the yard slowly filled with guests' wedding offerings, wrapped in brightly-colored, shimmering cards and tied to the branches with gold thread. In the true spirit of modern advancement and wholly surprising to some of the older attendees, a dance floor was prepared on one side of the yard and band struck up a romantic song for Naruto's and Sakura's first dance. Many 'oohs' and 'ahhs' emanated from the crowd, as well as some chuckling when Naruto attempted to dip Sakura and nearly dropped her.

Hinata and Sasuke remained close together, content to observe most of the goings-on from the peaceful sidelines. They had gotten so relaxed that Sasuke nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice suddenly sounded near his ear.

"So, you guys think you'll be next?"

Sasuke released a strange, strangled squeak before realizing it was only Shikamaru, half-lidded and tie loose and he eyed Sasuke flatly. His eyebrows rose at Sasuke's reaction.

"Didn't mean to startle you."

Sasuke straightened up and cleared his throat. "No problem." Hinata took notice of Shikamaru's arrival and dipped her head.

"Good evening!"

Shikamaru returned the gesture. "Hinata." He looked back at Sasuke. "So are you gonna answer or what? You guys planning on getting married anytime soon?"

Sasuke's mouth went dry and Hinata blushed, stammering out several incoherent sounds. Sasuke shrugged, "I... I... Well, why are you asking?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a gruff, feminine voice from behind him. "He's only asking so he can try to get out of proposing!"

Shikamaru bit the the toothpick he been chewing in half and muttered, "Temari."

The speaker sidled up next him. She was a blonde woman in a deep purple _kimono_ , her gold hair pulled back in an elaborate—yet somehow sharp-looking—updo. Her lips were painted a dark red and somehow Sasuke felt that was meaningful. She wound her arm into the crook of Shikamaru's elbow and smirked. "You must be the Uchiha brat I've heard so much about." Sasuke blanched, confused. The woman eyed Hinata. "Judging from the pretty Hyuuga you have next to you, I'm assuming my boyfriend's advice from back then paid off." Her arm tightened on Shikamaru's, causing him to go pale. "Now if only my _dear_ Shikamaru could take some of his _own_ useful advice to advance _our_ relationship."

Shikamaru spat the remains of the toothpick out and frowned at her. "Don't make this weird. You haven't even introduced yourself to them yet."

The woman's blue-green eyes hardened.

Shikamaru sighed and, using his free hand, gestured at the woman. "Sasuke, Hinata, this is my fiancee, Temari no Sabaku." Sasuke and Hinata bowed shallowly, nodding along with the introduction. Meanwhile, Temari's eyes had gone wide, her brusque demeanor melting into one of shock.

"'Fiancee'?" She sputtered.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Well, if it means so much to you, I figured I'd start calling you that."

Her face went red. "You can't just 'start calling' me that! You have to propose properly! Make me feel loved!"

Shikamaru looked away. "Troublesome." He glanced at Sasuke sidelong. "I'll see you around." Before anyone could react, he bolted into the crowd, forcing Temari to chase after him, a lecture already leaving her lips. Moments after they'd gone, a pair of tired-looking men stopped by where Hinata and Sasuke were still standing, frozen and bewildered. The taller one, a stocky man with brown hair, waved them down.

"Did you see a terrifying blonde lady come by? She was most likely chasing a spiky haired slouch."

The other man, red headed with pale, blue-green eyes, glanced at Hinata before turning away. As brief as it was, his expression caused her to blush. Noticing the exchange, Sasuke grit his teeth. He pointed in the direction Shikamaru and Temari had gone. "Yeah, they ran that way." The brunet man nodded, biting out a sharp 'thanks', before he tapped the red-head's shoulder and they darted after the oddly-matched couple.

Sasuke exhaled quietly. What an odd sequence of events. He felt fingers thread through his and looked down to see Hinata smiling up at him. He leaned down so she could whisper in his ear.

"Let's go sit down." He allowed her to drag him to a quiet table in the corner. A waiter came by and served them champagne, which they sipped quietly. The energy of the reception buzzed gently in their chests. The more subtle energy that lingered between them crackled along their skin. Sasuke took another sip and reflected on the events of the years since he'd confessed to Hinata.

Their relationship had been rocky at first. Hinata was still getting used to the idea of Sasuke being in love with her, and Sasuke was still working on getting his mental obstacles in check. They'd bickered occasionally, but with encouragement from Itachi, Sasuke had always stepped forward when he was in the wrong.

Strangely, Neji had become a weird source of comfort for Sasuke during times when he and Hinata had fought. Neji had been a huge part of Hinata's life and was thus a font of knowledge on how to handle her. Whenever it had been _her_ fault for a spat, he'd tell Sasuke to just wait a few days and eventually Hinata would crack, crawling back spewing apologies and attempting to make up for her slight.

As time went on, they got better about handling their problems alone, and the problems gave way to a strong foundation and a blossoming partnership. Sasuke was ceaselessly encouraging, prodding Hinata to step out and chase her own dreams. She remained in theater class, but grew more aggressive about pursuing direction, rather than just working in the background.

In turn, Hinata had also helped Sasuke work through his deep-seated emotional turmoil. He frequently relapsed into his apathetic state, sleeping often and doing his best to ignore anything that might be difficult to imagine. At one point, he nearly had another meltdown when Itachi overworked himself and collapsed from exhaustion. Luckily, that's all it had been.

But they were here now, together and more in love than ever. Hinata's was a quiet passion, more loyalty than romance. Sasuke's was a stormy one, demanding to give and illustrate his love for her through support and intimate gestures.

 _She puts up with a lot_ , he mused as he stared at her. He leaned on the table on his elbow, chin cradled in his palm.

Suddenly, as if melting from the shadows, Itachi appeared. Sasuke jumped once more, spluttering in the fashion of Hinata.

Itachi laughed quietly. "No need to be scared, _little brother_."

Sasuke's shock turned to irritation. "You're so late I can't even tell you."

Itachi nodded. "I'm aware. I've already apologized to Naruto and he assured me that he had some staff from the city hall film the entire thing for me."

"Where were you?"

"I was attempting to escort a distant relation of Naruto's here. Small world, isn't it? He's actually the one who founded the Akatsuki."

Sasuke blinked rapidly, "W-what?"

Itachi smiled, eyes creasing. "It's amazing how humanity can stretch so far, yet still tie together so closely."

Sasuke nodded, contemplating the concept. Several moments passed before he leapt to his feet, "You brought the _Akatsuki_ here?!"

Itachi stood slowly, "Now, now. No need to worry. I'm sure they'll be on their best behavior."

At that moment, Naruto appeared, vaulting into Sasuke's side with a crushing force. "So this is where you've been hiding, you jerk!" He looked over Sasuke's shoulder and grinned at Hinata. "Oh, hey Hinata!" She smiled warmly.

"Hello, Naruto!"

Naruto turned back to Sasuke, grin twisting into a ferocious glare. "As I was saying, jerk! You were supposed to congratulate me _first_ and I found you here, at the end of the party, having not even said a word to me all day! What kind of best friend _are_ you?!"

"Naruto," Sasuke struggled to escape Naruto's grasp, "Naruto, we have much bigger problems to worry about!"

"Oh really? Like what? The fact that I've known you for ten years and _this_ is how you treat me? I oughta—"

A loud _bang_ erupted from the other side of the courtyard, followed by several screams. Smoke began to billow upward between the buildings.

Itachi rubbed his chin. "Oh dear."

Naruto stilled. "W... What was that?"

Sasuke groaned. "The bigger problem."

Tsunade's voice rose above the crowd, "Everyone! This way to evacuate!" The crowd began spilling back out the gates. Using the distraction to escape Naruto's grip, Sasuke grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her away, nearly in a run. Despite the threat of fire being very real, it seemed most of the crowd had realized it was relatively minor, so most were evacuating while still smiling, laughing about how this would make the night even more memorable than before.

Caught up in the rush of the events, Sasuke breathlessly gazed back over his shoulder. Hinata was following close behind, grinning broadly at him. He watched her hair come loose from it's confines, spilling down over the shoulders of her pale _furisode_. She had reached down and pulled the tight fabric up to her knees so she could run more freely, exposing her _zori_ and the fact that she had sneakily worn leggings under her clothes, probably for comfort. Sasuke drank in the elation in her pearly eyes and the rosiness of her cheeks and strawberry-colored flush of her smiling lips and—surrounded by all things to do with weddings, friends spanning generations and the hopes for his future—decided that he didn't want to spend that future with anyone else.

He scarcely felt the breath in his lungs as he shouted over the noise. "Hinata!"

She fluttered her eyes prettily. "What?!"

He stilled for an instant, just long enough to whirl her in against his chest. He caught her arms; they were nose to nose, a rock in the river of evacuating wedding guests. They panted together, breath mingling. He could smell the champagne on her lips.

"Hinata, marry me."

For the umpteenth time that night, beneath the stars and the lanterns, her face lit up. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Yes!"

He kissed her, laughing against her lips. A breeze picked up, showering them in _sakura_ petals. Sasuke felt his chest burst into fireworks, streaking away into the sky and crumbling back to reveal the path towards the future. The future with Hinata by his side.

 _I love you, Hinata._

 _I love you too, Sasuke._

* * *

 **And now it's officially over. I'm going to miss this story a bit, but I'm more excited about the next one I'm planning with these two. I hope you enjoyed this epilogue. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it when I started, but then it came together. I love all these cuties so much.**

 _Saki-Hime: Thanks for reviewing, and especially for reviewing throughout the story! That means so much to me!_

 _Switchlolly007: I was barely breathing while writing! It got intense for a while there, ha. Thank you for reading!_

 _Itachi's Queen: You didn't sound arrogant at all :) I just know it can be hard to review things, I'm not the best at it either, so I like to thank people for taking the time to say something! Your review made me smile, it was so lovely gushing with kind words. Hope you like this epilogue!_

 _wolf-enzeru: Thank you so much!_

 _UnfinishedCadenza: Wow, wow! Your review was so kind, thank you! I feel like this story did push me a lot to improve and consider all sides of my characters and plot, instead of just writing stuff because I wanted it to be a certain way. I'm so floored that a story of mine could elicit such strong reactions. Thank you for your wonderful review!_

 _10ShizukaYuukiMistress10: Hope you liked it! But if you didn't, that's okay as well! Thanks for reviewing!_

 _Wifi Princess: Uwaa, your review is so encouraging! Thank you for reading and your kind words. I will definitely keep writing! :D_

 **That should do it. I feel like I'm closing up a shop, haha. Thank you to everyone who's read this, to my lovely reviewers who helped sort out the wrinkles and make this story my best yet! I hope to see you again soon.**

 **If you want to see my planning stages for the next story and snippets of other writing/art, you can follow my tumblr: toomanypizzaboxes.**

 **Thanks again!**

 **~Whyte**


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